To Be and to Have

Name: To Be and to Have
Released: 2002
Duration: 104 min

Être et avoir

2002·104'

Nicolas Philibert

Documentary

French

Letterboxd TMDB #5168

Stills

The documentary's title translates as "to be and to have", the two auxiliary verbs in the French language. It is about a primary school in the commune of Saint-Étienne-sur-Usson, Puy-de-Dôme, France, the population of which is just over 200. The school has one small class of mixed ages (from four to twelve years), with a dedicated teacher, Georges Lopez, who shows patience and respect for the children as we follow their story through a single school year.