Être et avoir
March 22, 2004
I finally saw the film Être et avoir (Nicolas Philibert, 2002) this weekend. Everything conspired against me seeing it when it was showing in Brighton, so, after months of hearing how wonderful it is, I got to watch it on DVD.
In case you haven't seen the film, it's a documentary that spans an academic year in a little school in rural Auvergne, where children ranging in ages from four to ten are all taught together in one class by one teacher. I loved it. It's one of those films that go way beyond their subject (as the director says in the extra bits on the DVD). The nature of teaching, vocation, childhood, growing up, pain, tragedy, it's all there.
Films are an amazing tool when learning a foreign language and Être et avoir is perfect for anyone learning French. It's very easy to follow what's going on (the teacher teaches, the kids can't remember what number comes after six) and the dialogues are fairly simple. I remember feeling immensely proud and encouraged the first time I watched a film in English and actually managed to understand a few lines. Even if you think you don't understand anything, you pick up a few things here and there, which finally gel together after a while. A loooong while, in my case, but it's well worth persisting.
I was just wondering what you think about using accents on capital letters? Did the film producers use the accent like this (having been taught at school not to use them on capitals...)?
Posted by Charlotte on March 22, 2004 2:13 PMI was pleasantly surprised by this film. A year in the life of some remedial kids in the middle of nowhere didn't sound like a terribly enticing subject to me, but the film turned out to be so heartwarming. It's one of those odd little gems that turns up from time to time.
Posted by Jez on March 22, 2004 5:59 PMI was taught as well that you should never accent capital letters, but in the course of my work, several clients have asked me to do it, and a lot of French publications, papers and magazines also put accents on capital letters. I always ask my clients what their preference is. Personally, I much MUCH prefer capital letters with accents.
Posted by céline on March 23, 2004 8:33 AMWatching this film, it didn't strike me that these were 'remedial kids'. I was led to believe that they were children of mixed abilities, living in a remote area, with one small school serving them all.
PS I prefer capitals with accents too!
Posted by Lis on March 23, 2004 10:02 AMI loved this film too.
Just as compelling, if also slightly disturbing, is another documentary about kids and education just out on DVD -- Spellbound. It revolves around the National Spelling Bee in the US. If you don't know what a National Spelling Bee is, watch it and be incredulous.
Posted by Anthony Hope on March 24, 2004 4:45 PMThey're not remedial kids in the film, just the offspring of the local yokels. I take it you've never been to a small town with an even smaller gene pool. (I live in one; kinda creepy.)
It is a lovely film.
As for accents on capitals, they've always been the norm in Quebec and appear to making inroads in France - with and without are equally acceptable now. They're exclusion is not logical by any stretch, and I'm guessing has to do with typographic constraints way back when.
Posted by gail on March 24, 2004 6:06 PMPrevious: March 19, 2004
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