To Be and to Have (Etre et Avoir) Reviews

This is a very sweet and gentle documentary. A window into the lives of a very normal but lovely group of kids and their teacher. It's better than it sounds, honestly!

A little cute & touching documentary

A sweet look at a teacher in a small French town and the children he teaches. We watch as he teaches them and they grow up and finally leave. It is moving and sad. We learn about the children and get to know them in a piece of voyeuristic brilliance.

[font=Century Gothic]"To Be and To Have" is a documentary that focuses on Georges Lopez who has been teaching at the same one-room schoolhouse in rural France for the last 20 years(very quaint by the way) and is about a year away from retirement. He teaches a group of elementary school students of various ages.[/font]

[font=Century Gothic]But here's my question: why is there a documentary about this particular teacher and this classroom? What is so special about it? Lopez apparently does an excellent job but that is what all teachers should be doing anyway, right? (We never see the positive effect that this teacher might have had on his past students.) Another clue lies in the rural setting. It is implied that a quality education can improve the children's lives over those of their parents but all people need a quality education, especially in a democracy. And yes, the children are adorable but the movie exploits that simply for entertainment value.[/font]

A beautiful and intimately touching documentary about a dedicated and caring teacher in a one-room school in rural France, The students with all their unique, colorful personalities range from ages 3 to 11 and all learn to live and learn alongside one another. There were two parts that caused me to tear up. Sometimes we follow the students into their homes and watch them do their homework and chores. Sometimes we watch them go on field trips and get into fights and then forgive each other. The teacher upholds a firm yet gentle and sensitive approach to the children. It was a wonderful film that re-ignited my passion once again to teach.

Rather superifical and elitest account I dare say. Of course, school and education works different for kids when there is a 8 to 1 teacher ration, a beautiful countryside outside, all time in the world etc. BUt life is not so simple as this movie is suggesting and I reckon all the desperate, depressed, overclouded, ultraurbanized and stressed out citizens and their children did not choose to become what they are, because it is not about choice but fate. Anyway, the movie instulted me and as I said, offers nothing but an elitest and very singular vision.

H.

Great doc about a single room schoolteacher in the French countryside. Simple, slow moving, but completely engrossing...

I watched this in my French 1 class, luckily, the subtitles were on. Very touching, intimate look at a lifellong elementary school teacher and his smalltown students.

The setting is a one-room schoolhouse in the French countryside in which one teacher must find a way to instruct children from pre-K through high school simultaneously. He is quite extraordinary, yet human at the same time. It may change or advance your ideas about education or at least inform you of a way that is very special. One of the cutest extras from this DVD is a series of poetry done by the children. They orate the poem and use hand gestures that coincide. Based on seeing this, I taught my niece Jordyn some gestures to her favorite snowflake poem and she performed it for her parents after a weekend visit. It's short but cute. Also, you see them as they grow from their early performances of the poem to later years.

Ode to school teachers everywhere. Old to the one room school house. Don't miss it, you'll never seen another like it.

A sweet and cherub documentary about one school teacher teaching innocent children in a rural area of France. To Be and To Have gently touched my heart.

Nicolas Philibert's gentle observant documentary, quietly watching from the sidelines as a group of young French children go through a year of school, all being taught by one dedicated teacher, is a different and heartwarming experience. The manner in which Philibert places the camera on the same level as the children as they quietly, thoughtfully work out spelling and maths problems completely reminds one of the innocent atmosphere present in most primary schools. The childrens' interactions are funny and interesting, and the story of soon-to-be-retired teacher Georges Lopez's bond with teaching the kids is warmly understandable. A charming and lovely film.

I have a DVD copy and will loan it out to whomever wants to see it!

What a great teacher. I almost fell in love with him.

Such a beautiful film. Enjoyed sitting under a blanket watching this this afternoon.

This heartwarming, yet simple, story of an inspirational teacher and his class is sure re-ignite cherished memories some of us simply forget.

We sometimes forget how hard it is for young children when they start their school life . It's daunting going to a new place every day , with other children and adults they have never met before.
To Be and To Have is a delightful documentary that follows a rural school in France that has just the one teacher and 12 kids aged 4 -10 .
I wasn't sure if there was going to be enough going on this movie to keep my concentration but i couldn't have been more wrong.

George Lopez is the name of the teacher and we see him in the last year before he retires. This is a man who quite clearly loves his job and adores the children he teaches. At first we see the sterner side of him when he has to tell a couple of the children off but it soon becomes clear that these children are extremely lucky to have a man like Georges Lopez as their first teacher.

There are some lovely scenes but one will stay with me for a while, its when he is talking to a pupil who's father has cancer and it's hard not to well up when see how both pupil and teacher handle it.
The final day of George Lopes 's career is also another very moving moment.

This wont be everyone's cup of tea but i love foreign documentaries like this.

I love this film. It's a must see for all teachers and parents of young children. It's great to see a teacher with a gentle approach, and children who are respectful of the learning environment.

Moving to the last frame

Must see for parents, teachers, or anyone who could use a reminder of childhood. 5/5 from me. 97% on Rottentomatoes.