Monsieur Lazhar Page #3

My wife was meant to leave

on June 25 at 5 a.m.,

hidden in a delivery truck.

My brother-in-law

had found a driver.

She was planning to leave

for Tunisia with the kids.

That night, the building burned.

Someone must have known about it.

They were all killed.

My wife, Nourredine, Annissa...

They burned to death.

Except for Annissa,

who died when she jumped

from the third-storey window

to escape the flames.

No, it's no good.

Look there.

That way.

Turn sideways. Like this.

You guys, the other way.

The other way, make a V.

Shoulders like this.

This way.

Like at a wedding.

Bachir, get in the picture.

Sure.

We want the new teacher.

There's a place here.

Place mat!

A nice spot, I mean.

Spot mat!

Speak French!

In three, what do we say?

Cheese!

We could say, Bachir!

Good idea!

We'll say Bachir!

Sure, that's good!

In 3, 2, 1...

For those who are ready to put

strips of paper on their fish,

too much glue

is as bad as too little.

When you take the strip,

squeeze it between your fingers

to wipe away the excess glue,

so it doesn't drip all over.

Simon, there's a little problem.

When you glue the strips...

Here, look at my fish...

Graffiti can be social,

political or racist.

Or it can be advertising

or decoration.

Now they put bars

on ground-floor windows

to protect them

and stop vandalism.

So...

In conclusion, violence at school

isn't just about

fighting and taxing

and all that.

Tell me, is stealing

the same as vandalism?

No way! Stealing isn't destructive.

It's not violent.

Think before you speak, Vic!

Alright.

Your argument and your photos

were strong.

But watch your French.

My school is beautiful.

My school is beautiful!

Simon!

Cut it out!

I listened to you.

Now it's your turn!

Go on, Alice.

My school is beautiful.

Maybe not the most beautiful,

but it's mine.

So...

At first,

when I started coming here,

my mom kept saying

how nice it was.

Personally, I found it ok...

But now, six years later,

I also think it's really nice.

Because it's mine.

A big yard to play soccer

and basketball,

where parents drop their kids off

in the morning.

They take care of us,

check to see if we have lice,

how our teeth are,

if we're aggressive

or hyperactive.

But this nice school is where

Martine Lachance hanged herself.

With her blue scarf

from the big pipe

on a Wednesday night.

My mom was in Miami

because she's an airline pilot.

I wish she had come back

right away

because I really had

a tough time.

Martine must've been discouraged

with her life.

The last thing she did

was kick her chair

to make it fall over.

Sometimes I wonder if she wasn't

sending a violent message.

When we're violent,

we get a detention.

But we can't give Martine Lachance

a detention,

because she's dead.

"It's hard to know

if Martine's message was violent.

"We can't mix things up.

"School shouldn't be violent.

"You punish violence

with detentions.

"We can't give Martine Lachance

a detention,

"because she's dead."

Such maturity, don't you find?

How'd they react?

There was a silence.

They were troubled, I think.

But it did them good.

I'd like permission to distribute

the text to the whole school.

Why?

The text shows a desire

to communicate,

to talk about death.

No.

May I ask why not?

I find the text violent.

That was the theme, violence and...

Even so.

It's life that's violent,

not the text.

It's not at all macabre.

It lacks respect for Martine.

Did she respect her students

by hanging herself in class?

Bachir, please!

I'm sorry.

Let the psychologist do her job.

I want no insubordination.

Very well. It was simply an idea.

The class is doing well,

grades are good...

miraculous,

considering what you ask.

I don't want any waves, ok?

Alice L'cuyer,

is there something you want to say?

Because if there is,

say it to my face.

Do you have anything to say?

What did I do to you?

Not what you did to me.

What you did to Martine.

What?

What you told everyone.

You don't know anything.

You're dumb!

Well, in that case, beat it.

Stop following me like a stray dog.

She's always competing with others,

she's never satisfied.

But she's a dynamo...

When you see their eyes sparkle,

you know they've understood.

Of course, there are the odd B...

Marie-Frdrique can sometimes

behave with the others

in a way that's... assertive.

She's always right.

- For example?

- She loves to cite the rules.

You're new, so of course she knows

the school better than you.

Students aren't in a position

to judge teachers' behavior.

She's a very good student.

But...

I sometimes find her attitude

a bit... rigid. Yes.

Rigid.

So, Mr Lazhar,

since she's a child,

she should behave more like one?

Yes, you could say that.

Ok.

I think that with the death

of her teacher,

your arrival here,

your different methods...

my daughter is trying to hold on.

- She's been very strong.

- Absolutely.

Not rigid!

It's obviously been hard

for you as well.

You're not from here, so of course

certain nuances escape you.

But be that as it may,

we prefer that you teach

our daughter, not try to raise her.

I just wanted to say,

the kids have come a long way.

They're much more at ease.

We can soon end our sessions.

In a few weeks, they'll be cured?

Tremendous!

They're not sick,

even if the class

looks like a hospital.

You know, a little color...

Next week, Arabic class.

Children, where are your manners?

- I know why you like this story.

- Why?

The wolf lets himself be tamed,

but he remains wild, independent.

Wolves are my favorite animal.

Here.

It's for grown-ups,

but you're grown-up enough.

Thanks.

Boris, get some air.

It's easy. Put on your coat,

open your eyes,

open your nostrils.

Breathe, run around, play.

Fly away if you can.

You'll see that your migraine

has flown away too.

And when you come back,

you'll find me sitting quietly,

still alive,

sharpening pencils.

Ok.

- Sire Stanley, bad news!

- What now?

Listen, Mlanie,

it's Sir Stanley.

It's an English title,

say it right.

And try to project more, ok?

Keep going.

We lost our compass!

We'll do like the ancients.

We point the compass rose

to the east.

Imagine all that

Livingstone missed.

The transatlantic telegraph.

The Suez Canal.

I, Eugnie, wife of Napoleon III,

declare the 162-km-long

Suez Canal open!

What will you say to Livingston?

I'll say, Hello, I presume.

Sorry. Forgive me.

It's wonderful!

Don't stop!

How's the play?

Good. The kids are enjoying it.

What did you think?

I liked what I saw.

It's droll, candid...

Candid, really?

I mean,

it's chock-full

of information, joyous,

but offers a Romantic vision

of the colonial period. Yes.

True, I could've talked about

the Belgian Congo,

the pillaging, amputations...

I've offended you.

No way. It's a welcome change

from empty compliments.

I haven't been in here

since Martine's been gone.

It's hard to understand why

anyone chooses to kill herself.

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