The current film "To Be And To Have" provides an interesting insight in to French culture. It shows an aspect of French primary education that is more than a documentary. This is a charming, poignant and thoughful film. I highly recommend it to anyone curious about French life and ways.

Thanks, Powell. It's on the roster for the Hawaii International Film Festival starting this week, one of my 10 or so 'must-sees.' If I recall, it's a low-budget independent documentary. You're lucky you can see it on a regular run where you live.

Controversially the teacher subject of "Etre & Avoir" is now sueing the film makers and production company for rightful shares in the profits. The arguement is that a school-lesson, just as much as a novel, screenplay or play, is the intellectual property of the author, ie the teacher.
When the film came out in France the teacher was lionised by many in the french media and indeed acrodd society, and as a result the film was extreemly succesful. He was winning plaudits foe the selfless and dedicated way he went about teaching his mixed age-group class not just the rudiments of scholastic knowledge but also how to be good and productive human beings - it is indeed a deeply humanist film.
The legal action has somewhat tarnished this image and now the very same commentators are vilifying him for what they see as naked greed and ambition.

Very good film though!

Dr D.

Yes, I saw this little gem of a film that is filmed mostly in the small schoolhouse nestled in the dairy-farming region of the Auvergne. It's a quiet film that pays homage to the techer, Gerge Lopez, who is soon to retire. I loved the scene of the two young ones at the copier machine.

Thanks for the added information. The teacher does deserve remuneration. I wonder how this documentary was arranged without confronting the matter.

No school teacher should miss this beautiful, touching documentary.