To Be and to Have (2002)

Synopsis of To Be and to Have

The one-room schoolhouse, where one teacher instructs several grades at once, is generally regarded a quaint thing of the past and a symbol of obsolete and ineffective teaching methods. However, the documentary To Be and to Have offers an in-depth look at a small school in rural France where one remarkable man has been doing the job of a small teaching staff for 20 years, and has taught several generations of bright and capable children along the way. Georges Lopez is an educator at a small school in France's Auvergne region, where between December 2000 and June 2001 he taught 12 students between the ages of four and ten. Employing a curriculum that embraces both academics and practical skills, Lopez and his school represent a surprising mix of the old and the new, where computer technology and old-fashioned memorization of the multiplication tables sit side by side. To Be and to Have captured Georges Lopez near the end of his career in education -- shortly after the film was completed, he retired after 35 years as a teacher. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:

104 mins

Director(s):

Nicolas Philibert

Producer(s):

Gilles Sandoz

Theatrical MPAA Rating:

NR(Suitable for Children)

Categories:

Documentary, Independent Films, Special Interest

• 2002 - European Film Academy - Prix Arte
• 2002 - French Academy of Cinema - Best Editing
• 2003 - Full Frame Documentary Film Festival - Grand Jury Prize - Documentary
• 2003 - National Society of Film Critics - Best Documentary

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