![Bibliography
Aitken, S. C. (2007) 'Poetic child realism: Scottish film and the
construction of childhood', Scottish Geographical Journal, Vol.
123:, No.1, pp. 68-86
Gentleman, A (2004) „Film‟s fallen hero fights on for his class‟, The
Guardian, [Online] Available at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/oct/03/film.france [Accessed
10th March 2011]
Overmann, M (2011) Être et avoir: un film de Nicolas Philibert
, [Online] Available at http://www.ph-ludwigsburg.de/html/2b-frnz-s-
01/overmann/baf4/etreetavoir/4o.htm [Accessed 10th March, 2011]
Philibert, N (2011) Nicolss Philibert [Online] Available at
http://www.nicolasphilibert.fr/ [Accessed 10th March 2011]
Powrie , P (2005) „Unfamiliar places: 'heterospection'and recent
French films on children‟, Screen, Vol. 46, No.3, pp. 342-352
Tobin, J. And Hsueh, Y (2007) „The Poetics and Pleasures of Video
Ethnography of Education‟, in In R. Goldman (Ed). Video Research
in the Learning Sciences. NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/treetavoir-130307091249-phpapp02/85/ere-et-avoir-56-320.jpg)
Uploaded byClaire Tupling
êre et avoir
The documentary film Être et avoir profiles Georges Lopez, a teacher at a small rural French primary school, and his students over the course of a school year. While intended as a small documentary about single-teacher village schools, the film became a surprise commercial success. However, Lopez and parents of students argued they were misled about the film's scope and felt the children's privacy and emotional well-being were exploited by their unexpected fame. The court ultimately ruled in favor of the filmmaker, declaring the children were not actors but subjects of a documentary.
êre et avoir
- 1. ÊTRE ET AVOIR TheConstruction of Childhood
- 2. Learning Outcomes Discuss therepresentations of Childhood in films Explore the representation of teaching, childhood & schooling through documentary Examine the similarities and distinctions between fiction and documentary in the representation of schooling
- 3. Être et avoir 2002 French Director– Nicolas Philibert „Starring‟ - Georges Lopez
- 4. Overview Être et avoiris a charming and intimate portrait of a single- class primary school in rural France and its inspirational teacher. Ranging in age from four to ten, the small handful of pupils are taught by the remarkable and wise Georges Lopez, whose patient and enlightened methods highlight a genuine affection for his young charges. Offering a touching and absorbing look at the heart of a village community, director Nicolas Philibert‟s film was a surprise cinema hit which was warmly received by critics and won numerous awards including a BAFTA and a European Film Award.
- 5. Setting Saint-Étienne-sur-Usson, Puy- de-Dôme, Auvergne RuralFrance Single class school Filmed over a school year December through June
- 6. Scenes School Room School building& surroundings Journey to/from School Homes & Family Senior School Trip Idyllic?
- 7. French Single TeacherSchools Image from http://www.ph-ludwigsburg.de/html/2b-frnz-s-01/overmann/baf4/etreetavoir/4o.htm
- 8. Background Traditional in ruralareas 4- 10 year olds taught together By mid 1990‟s just over 20% of French schools were registered single teacher schools Numbers are declining Re the idyllic
- 9. Nicolas Philibert 'There arestill, almost everywhere in France, single-classroom schools that bring together, under the same schoolteacher, all the children from the same village, from nursery age to their last year of primary education. Whether their individual members are withdrawn or outgoing, these assorted little groups share everyday life, for the best and for the worst. It was in one of these schools, somewhere in the heart of the Auvergne, that my film was shot.'
- 10. Genre Documentary? • Subgenre? Fly onthe wall Realist French Cinema
- 11. Narrative What is thestory or stories? How is it told? or Who tells it? Who is the film about? What is the teacher‟s story? What are the children‟s stories?
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- 13. Georges Lopez A character •Philibert Experienced Authoritarian Caring Approaching retirement Male • Most teachers are women
- 14. Lopez‟ story Deviation ofstyle Interview with Lopez Tells the story of his becoming a teacher
- 15. The Children Key Characters MinorCharacters
- 16. Children as Protagonists Canthe children be described as heroes? What mix of characters does the film have? Do we focus on one or some of the children more than others? Why might this be?
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- 30. Être et avoiras Documentary
- 31. Conventions of Documentary Serious,factual content Relates to reality Aids our understanding of a topic Analytical – aims to interpret topic • Present an alternative view May have a commentary to aid understanding
- 32. Nicolas Philibert French Documentary Maker StudiedPhilosophy In the land of the deaf (le pays des sourds) - 1992 Nénette - 2010
- 33. Fly on theWall? The story is told by the Teacher & Pupils • Is this the case? Captures the everyday Unobtrusive • Natural setting with the camera
- 34. Cinematic Ethnography? Appearance ofreal life Scenes where nothing appears to happen Everyday Intimate moments • Nathalie • Olivier
- 35. Constructed Reality 10 weeksof filming – December – June 100 min film • Editing Effects indicate passage of time • Filmed Landscapes Camera intimidated some • E.g. Laura • Become minor characters
- 36. Opposition Indoor Outdoor Safe Unknown Protected Vast Familiar Mystical Warm Cold Collective Alone
- 37. The film maker‟sstory Is the story really the teacher‟s & the children‟s? The film maker‟s viewpoint Philibert selected Lopez & the school The court case • Affirmed genre of the documentary
- 38. Être et avoiras constructing childhood
- 39. Children in Cinema Relativelyfew preadolescent children in Cinema Recent trend for French films with young children as key characters Represents a turn, new focus on children But, these are films for adult viewing
- 40. Preadolescent Turn Powrie (2005) Frenchpreadolescent films focus on childhood Abuse • L‟Ombre du doute Death • Ponette Exclusion • Les Choristes
- 41. Concern over children Powrie– films reflect a: - “broader interest in the intersection between institutions and the role of the family, with children as potential victims of the failure of both”
- 42. Context Significant increase inFrench births Increase in divorce Increase in single parents Family breakdown Damaged children?
- 43. Concern in Êtreet avoir Olivier • Father is dying from cancer • See him breaking down • Lopez discussion on work moves to concern about his father Nathalie • Quiet, shy • Transition to middle school is worrying • Lopez tries to address fears
- 44. Concern about leaving– discontinuities Older children are leaving • Difficult transitions • Moving up to school • Leaving preadolescence – loss of innocence? Lopez‟ retirement • But will you still live above the school Coupled with continuities • New intake
- 45. Retrospection Nostalgic view ofchildhood Innocence, purity, freedom, distance from the adult world Romantic view of childhood – natural world - rural setting Landscapes - Aitken
- 46. Heterospection Film presents aheterotopic view Utopian site of child represented along other sites Space of the child (school) alongside contested spaces (ref – spaces & opposition) Viewer inhabits a heterotopic space • Viewing the child from outside (we are not there) • We empathise because we with the child (fly on the wall)
- 47. Contested Spaces Utopian smallschool vs Middle School School vs Home School vs Outside Collective space vs Intimate space
- 48. Construction of theTeacher Vocation Lives above the school Dedicated his life to teaching Physical closeness to the children • Male Relationship is not sexualised • preadolescent
- 49. Être et avoiras exploitation
- 50. Intrusion? Viewers view highlypersonal moments Image of the children • Jojo is the face of the movie Yet sympathetic to characters? Believe it is their story
- 51. Unanticipated Success Consent fordocumentary given by Lopez and parents Lopez became a „star‟ Represented the ideal teacher But...
- 52. Lopez “We were misled.The production company told me and the children's families that they were making a small documentary about the phenomenon of the one-teacher village school and that the film would be used primarily for educational purposes...they said it would have a restricted screening and never discussed marketing the film to make it such a commercial venture”
- 53. Impact on theChildren “We had no idea that it would be in cinemas all over the country, released on DVD or distributed abroad. One child, who had been very stable and happy until the film's release, was so distressed by his unexpected fame, that he started wetting the bed, and became afraid of the dark....Other children have been teased at their new secondary schools because of their involvement. All have been subjected to a great deal of stress as a direct consequence of the film”
- 54. Court Case Lopez attemptedto sue film's producers for a share in the €2 million (£1.4m) profits • Failed Parents attempted to sue on behalf of their children Claimed of misleading, exploitation and harm to children Lopez‟ fall from grace Court ruled in favour of Philibert – „stars‟ of the movie were not actors – it is a documentary
- 55. Does it exploit? Nostalgicview of childhood Idolising of the School teacher • Suggest a sympathetic view Yet the impact on the children • Emotional harm • Use of their image
- 56. Bibliography Aitken, S. C. (2007) 'Poetic child realism: Scottish film and the construction of childhood', Scottish Geographical Journal, Vol. 123:, No.1, pp. 68-86 Gentleman, A (2004) „Film‟s fallen hero fights on for his class‟, The Guardian, [Online] Available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/oct/03/film.france [Accessed 10th March 2011] Overmann, M (2011) Être et avoir: un film de Nicolas Philibert , [Online] Available at http://www.ph-ludwigsburg.de/html/2b-frnz-s- 01/overmann/baf4/etreetavoir/4o.htm [Accessed 10th March, 2011] Philibert, N (2011) Nicolss Philibert [Online] Available at http://www.nicolasphilibert.fr/ [Accessed 10th March 2011] Powrie , P (2005) „Unfamiliar places: 'heterospection'and recent French films on children‟, Screen, Vol. 46, No.3, pp. 342-352 Tobin, J. And Hsueh, Y (2007) „The Poetics and Pleasures of Video Ethnography of Education‟, in In R. Goldman (Ed). Video Research in the Learning Sciences. NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates