The Kindergarten Teacher

2014, Drama, 1h 59m

35 Reviews 250+ Ratings

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critics consensus

The Kindergarten Teacher's crypticness can needlessly feel like homework, but Nadav Lapid's provocative direction and committed performances give this tale of mentorship and possession a disquieting sting. Read critic reviews

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Movie Info

A young child's gift for poetry makes him an object of fascination for his kindergarten teacher. Her desire to protect and nurture his talent from a world that bulldozes purity leads her to claim some of his work as her own.

Cast & Crew

Sarit Larry
Nira
Avi Shnaidman
Yoav Pollak
Lior Raz
Nira's husband
Jil Ben David
The Poetry Teacher
Ester Rada
Miri
Guy Oren
Asi
Yehezkel Lazarov
Amnon Pollak
Dan Toren
Aharon Pollak
Nadav Lapid
Director
Nadav Lapid
Screenwriter
Osnat Handelsman-Keren
Producer
Talia Kleinhendler
Producer
Olivier Père
Producer
Carole Scotta
Producer
Michael Emet
Original Music
Shai Goldman
Cinematographer
Era Lapid
Film Editing
Orit Azoulay
Casting
Miguel Markin
Art Director
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Critic Reviews for The Kindergarten Teacher

All Critics (35) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (27) | Rotten (8)
Full Review… J. Hoberman Tablet Full Review… David Lewis San Francisco Chronicle Full Review… Marsha Lederman Globe and Mail Full Review… Gary Goldstein Los Angeles Times Full Review… Bruce DeMara Toronto Star Full Review… Radheyan Simonpillai NOW Toronto Full Review… Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com Full Review… Alberto Abuín Espinof Full Review… Rubén Rosario MiamiArtZine Full Review… Steve Erickson Brooklyn Magazine Full Review… Jay Kuehner Cinema Scope Full Review… Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
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Audience Reviews for The Kindergarten Teacher

  • Sep 18, 2015
    By night, Nira(Sarit Larry) attends a creative writing group. By day, she is a kindergarten teacher. One of her charges is five year old Yoav(Avi Shnaidman) who displays a prodigious talent at poetry which Nira talks about with Yoav's nanny Miri(Ester Rada) who also wants to be an actress. Aside from pointing out that there is nothing more dangerous than a failed intellectual(which is a better explanation for Nira's actions than simple empty nest syndrome), "The Kindergarten Teacher" also has quite a few things to say about the class structure in Israel. Writer-director Napav Lapid then takes those expectations and subverts them neatly throughout, even though he has a tendency to rely on extreme close-ups a bit too much.
    Walter M Super Reviewer
  • Jul 21, 2015
    It has a curious premise, like a modern version of Amadeus (only with poetry, an unappreciated art form in our days, in lieu of music), following a madly obsessed woman who exploits a poor child to whom the gift of art comes so easy, but the film drags and feels a bit repetitive at times.
    Carlos M Super Reviewer
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