David Zielke

This is a film in the French tradition of exploring the human condition of its characters. There is more than what appears on the surface, both in the child characters and their 'new' teacher. As the story develops, the characters wrestle internally with their emotions, until one writes (speaks out) and from there we catch glimpses of the range of emotions from guilt, to grief, to indifference. The teacher character throughout this film is dealing with his own grief and struggles which he keeps to himself until very near the end of the movie. This is not a film to entertain and will not thrill an audience. As a longtime educator, I identified with the struggle the main character has in defining and navigating the student teacher relationship in the classroom given cultural differences, school policies, etc. Establishing boundaries is obviously important as is revealing to your students glimpses of your own humanity. The film takes on these topics. If you work in education or have had to deal with tragedy in your work or home environment, this is a movie worth viewing. The ending is typical French cinema, letting viewers draw their own conclusions.