Slow, tranquil, mildly austere, richly detailed, and well-photographed documentary on a dedicated teacher, name of Georges Lopez, twenty years in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Auvergne, and now on the brink of retirement. You see real work being done, important work, imperturbably done. You see the surrounding countryside. You see the change of seasons. (There is one brief interview interlude outside the natural flow of life.) And you get to know several of the students, some better than others, ranging in age from three to eleven: little Jojo is a heart-stealer. You need patience, but in Maître Lopez you have an exemplary model. Directed by Nicolas Philibert. (2002) — Duncan Shepherd
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