To Be and to Have
At a glance
To Be and to Have is a 2002 French documentary directed by Nicolas Philibert about a small rural school. It runs for 104 minutes and focuses on a one-room school and education in France. The film is in French, and Gilles Sandoz is listed as its producer. Its awards include the Louis Delluc Prize and the European Film Award for Best Documentary. The film was screened out of competition at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and achieved commercial success. It also became the subject of an unsuccessful legal action by the school’s teacher, who alleged that he and the children’s parents had been misled about the intended audience and that the participants had been exploited. These details offer context for viewers considering a documentary about rural schooling and the people involved in its filming.
Who it is for
It may suit viewers interested in rural schools, one-room classrooms, and education in France. French is the listed language.
What is good
- Focuses on a small rural school
- Explores education in France
- 104-minute runtime
- Received two listed film awards
What to know first
- A legal action concerning the filming was unsuccessful
Verdict
To Be and to Have offers a documentary portrait of a small rural school, with education in France at its center. The legal dispute over the film’s intended audience and treatment of participants is also part of its background.
Details
- Year
- 2002wikidata.org · 3 Oct 2026
- Runtime
- 104 minwikidata.org · 3 Oct 2026
- Director
- Nicolas Philibertwikidata.org · 3 Oct 2026
- Country
- Francewikidata.org · 3 Oct 2026
- Subjects
- one-room school, education in Francewikidata.org · 3 Oct 2026
- IMDb
- tt0318202wikidata.org · 3 Oct 2026
More documentaries of the 2000s
See the listListed on DocumentaryTube
Sources
- wikidata.org/wiki/Q593573· checked 3 Oct 2026
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Be_and_to_Have· checked 2 Oct 2026