Etre et avoir

Nicolas Philibert wants his documentaries largely to tell stories. His films are not far removed from fiction, according to the maker, and Philibert also prefers to call himself a film maker rather than a documentary maker. Philibert had already been thinking for some time about making a film about learning processes in children. At the same time, he was walking around with the idea of making a film about the countryside. In a natural way, these two came together in the beautiful Etre et avoir. The location is a tiny school with thirteen pupils varying in age from four to eleven all sitting in one classroom. For twenty years Georges Lopez has been headmaster, infant, primary and gym teacher all rolled into one. The school is in a village in the heart of the Auvergne, a rural and mountainous region in France. Philibert followed the class and the teacher from the deep of winter up till the summer holidays.In this age of gigantic schools, learning factories and crowded classrooms, it is a welcome relief to see that things can be different. Lopez’ rather traditional style of teaching and the children’s candour were filmed by Philibert in a loving and humane way. Heart-warming, moving and funny moments are included, such as when the children wrestle with the modern technology of a photocopier. And the farewell scenes before the summer holidays remain engraved on one’s memory.