Sein und haben (2002)

Sein und haben: Directed by Nicolas Philibert. With Georges Lopez, Alizé, Axel Thouvenin, Guillaume. A documentary portrait of a one-room school in rural France, where the students (ranging in age from 4 to 11) are educated by a single dedicated teacher.

“This is a real feel good movie. A documentary that captures life in a small village in France anchored by the one room school and itu0026#39;s teacher Monsieur Lopez. Life is not easy for family farmers anywhere but this film shows the rewards of this particular village school. The older children show warmth and protection toward the little ones. It is the whole idea that it takes a village and if not that at least a good teacher. His clam demeanor is reflected in the calmness of the children – that is if they are not too upset, but Monsier never yells, at least not during the film. My french professor yelled constantly and insulted every imperfection, but Monsier Lopez is gentle and kind even when he scolds his students. He follows a cadence that seems to be an echo of the countryside where they live and the movie seems to also follow this cadence. Those of us who have spent most of our lives in cities might feel the urge to scream during the movie, but resist that urge and try to observe and not direct the flow of the film. There are wonderful moments of the humanity of young children and pre-adolescents. Some are funny and some are heart rendering, but all are real.”