After several wonderful films shown around Grounds, this year’s French Film Festival closed with a particularly inspiring, 2011 Academy Award nominated film, “Monsieur Lazhar.” This film depicts the lives of a class of Montreal elementary school students after their teacher commits suicide in the classroom. Bachir Lazhar, an Algerian immigrant, steps in to replace the students’ former teacher, but even he is dealing with crisis. The kids and Lazhar effectively learn from each other as they all work though their emotional challenges. Two of the children, Alice and Simon, both endure a difficult struggle to deal with their former teacher’s death and, as a result, connect with Lazhar on a deep, personal level.
One of my favorite things about this movie was its phenomenal group of young actors. The emotional range of these young people was simply stellar. Portraying eleven and twelve year-olds who are dealing with the suicide of their teacher is an extremely difficult task to undertake. The main characters, Alice and Simon, actually saw their teacher upon her death, and struggle to lead normal lives, while dealing with their grief. These children are confronted with an age-old dilemma of mortality and loss at an early age and an inopportune setting. They experience first-hand how losing someone important in one’s life can have detrimental effects for the survivors.
The life lessons learned by the students, and Lazhar, are what make this film so special. Even Monsieur Lazhar has his own personal struggles with the loss of his family. No one knows his own secret about facing expatriation himself; yet, he still volunteers to teach at a school that had been rattled by travesty. Lazhar shows nothing but kindness toward the children, and is able to relate to them on a level that none of the other faculty could at the school, despite the fact that he is an immigrant. The film’s depth stems from the idea that adults and children can share the same pains, desires and griefs.
The addition of “Monsieur Lazhar” to the French Film Festival line-up was the perfect way to conclude the festival. The movie appeals to all kinds of audiences, making it readily accessible and an instantly timeless classic. “Monsieur Lazhar” has certainly increased my expectations for next years films.
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