To Be and to Have (2002)

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.

Director:

Nicolas Philibert

Stars:

Georges Lopez, Alizé, Axel Thouvenin

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 8 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Georges Lopez	...	L'institueur
Alizé	...	Les enfants de la classe
Axel Thouvenin	...	Les enfants de la classe (as Axel)
Guillaume	...	Les enfants de la classe
Jessie	...	Les enfants de la classe
Johan	...	Les enfants de la classe - Jojo
Johann	...	Les enfants de la classe
Jonathan	...	Les enfants de la classe
Julien	...	Les enfants de la classe
Laura	...	Les enfants de la classe
Létitia	...	Les enfants de la classe
Marie-Elizabeth	...	Les enfants de la classe
Nathalie	...	Les enfants de la classe
Olivier	...	Les enfants de la classe
Franck	...	Les frères et soeurs, les nouveaux...

Storyline

How do we learn to live with others and their wishes? Director Nicolas Philibert poses this question in a village schoolhouse in Auvergne, where Georges Lopez teaches 13 children, ages ranging from about four to 12. Against a landscape of mountains and farmland, from driving snow to rain to sun, the children gather in Lopez's warm and colorful classroom, to read, write dictation, cook, and sort things out. At home, the older ones do homework with parents after their chores. At year's end, they look ahead to the next, visiting the middle school and meeting the little ones coming in the fall. As they learn sums and adjectives, with Lopez's help, they also learn to live side by side.

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Plot Keywords:

school | auvergne | schoolhouse | dedicated teacher | snow | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Family

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

28 August 2002 (France)

Also Known As:

To Be and to Have

Filming Locations:

Saint-Etienne-sur-Usson, Puy-de-Dôme, France

Box Office

Budget:

€1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$823,788 (France), 30 August 2002

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,528, 21 September 2003, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$775,607, 13 June 2004

Company Credits

Production Co:

Maïa Films, Arte France Cinéma, Les Films d'Ici

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min 105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After Etre et Avoir received so many awards and was met with such fanfare, the teacher, Georges Lopez, sued the producer for compensation. Contractually he and the students were paid a set amount of money (low-budget documentary prices), however Lopez did promotional tours and thought he deserved a larger share after the film's success. The French judge did not rule in his favour.

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Connections

Featured in Zomergasten: Episode #17.2 (2004)

User Reviews

A hymn to teaching and Georges Lopez in particular.

Teaching is a gift, a talent and it can not be taught-sure, people can be taught at universities about the particulars of teaching but the guts of teaching is something that imbues an adult with the warmth of dealing with young people. Georges Lopez has that talent, that gift and this beautiful film allows adults to see what happens in something we all participate in but rarely have a chance to observe after we are adults.

I found the film to be mesmerizing with it's reflections on the beauty and innocence of childhood as well as the little insights into French rural life all held together with the "glue" provided by the teaching of Lopez with his powerful personality. The beauty of this personality and his extraordinary attitude towards the children in his care are the parts of this wonderfully warm documentary that linger with me after viewing the film.

A person feels so humbled after watching a master at work and we must question our society's values when a man of this talent can beaver away unknown in deep pockets in urban and rural settings under valued by our society while others with far less to contribute are valued to a degree beyond worth.