Être et avoir
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| Être et avoir | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Nicolas Philibert |
| Release date(s) | 2002 |
| Country | France |
| IMDb profile | |
Être et avoir (2002) is a full-length documentary film by director Nicolas Philibert.
The documentary title literally translates as "To be and to have", the two auxiliary verbs in the French language. It is about a primary school in the commune of Saint-Étienne-sur-Usson, Puy-de-Dôme, France, the population of which is just over 200. The school has one small class of mixed ages (from four to twelve years), with a dedicated teacher, Georges Lopez.
The film won the 2003 Sacramento French Film Festival Audience Prize.
Following the film's success, Lopez, the principal personality in the documentary, sued director Nicolas Philibert, claiming he deserved a share of its € 2 million profit. The French court rejected Lopez' claim. According to news reportage, French film unions warned that if Lopez had been successful it would have spelt "the death of the documentary, undermining the crucial principle that subjects should not be paid to participate".[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Amelia Gentleman. "Defeat for teacher who sued over film profits", Guardian.co.uk, 2004-9-29.
