Elementary
트레일러 재생
Claire SIMON
- France
- 2024
- 105min
- G
- DCP
- color
Korean Premiere
Synopsis
In the Makarenko public elementary school in the Paris outskirts, children want to learn and to be cheered while teachers know they do not only teach, they also educate. With care, tenacity and efforts, children are trained to become not only responsible citizens but also human beings.
Review
Claire Simon's cinematic journey frequently unfolds within educational settings. From capturing the dynamics among children in her daughter's kindergarten in Récréations (1998), to exploring the admissions process at a film school in The Graduation (2016), and engaging in cinematic conversations with teenagers about passion and loneliness in Young Solitude (2018), Simon's work often finds its canvas in various learning institutions. In her latest film, Elementary, the French documentary master invites us into an elementary school on the outskirts of Paris. Situated in a working-class, immigrant neighborhood, the film eschews demographic or socioeconomic explanations, instead focusing on the day-to-day lives of the students as they learn and grow. Simon documents their experiences from the first day of the new school year to graduation, all from their unique perspective. The film deftly captures how children from diverse religious, cultural, and racial backgrounds interact and come to understand each other's differences. This process, alternating between play and conversation, is enriched by the presence of teachers who guide and care for the students from a respectful distance, transforming these moments into valuable life lessons. Simon's work underscores the importance of observing children—society's future—and the dedicated teachers who nurture them with respect and reverence, before hastily dismissing public education in crisis. This message resonates not only with French audiences but universally, highlighting the transformative power of education and the resilience of both students and educators in diverse communities.Director
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Claire SIMON
Born in London, UK, 1955. Claire Simon is a French filmmaker renowned for her contributions to documentary cinema. Her works, exploring the nature of storytelling, have been showcased at major festivals including Locarno IFF and Cannes.
Credit
- ProducerMichel KLEIN
- Cinematography Claire SIMON
- Editor Luc FORVEILLE
- Sound Nathalie VIDAL, Pierre BOMPY, Jules JASK, Elias BOUGHEDIR