To Be and to Have: Difference between revisions

To Be and to Have
(Être et avoir)
To Be and to Have; (Être et avoir)
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Nicolas Philibert
Written by	Nicolas Philibert
Produced by	Gilles Sandoz
Cinematography	Laurent Didier; Katell Djian; Hugues Gemignani; Nicolas Philibert
Edited by	Nicolas Philibert
Music by	Philippe Hersant
Distributed by	Les Films du Losange
Release dates	19 May 2002 (Cannes); 28 August 2002 (France);
Running time	104 minutes
Country	France
Language	French
Budget	€1 million
Box office	$16.1 million

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To Be and To Have (French: Être et avoir; also the UK title) is a 2002 French documentary film directed by Nicolas Philibert about a small rural school. It was screened as an "Out of Competition" film at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival^[2] and achieved commercial success.^[3] The film became the subject of an unsuccessful legal action by the school's teacher, who said that he and the children's parents had been misled about the film's intended audience, and that he and the children had been exploited.

The documentary's title 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, Mr Lopez, who shows patience and respect for the children as we follow their story through a single school year.

The film won several awards, including the 2003 Sacramento French Film Festival Audience Prize.^[4]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 97%, based on 59 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A small, sensitive, and moving portrait of a teacher and his students."^[5] On Metacritic the film has a score of 87 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".^[6]

Lawsuit

Following the film's popularity in cinemas, Lopez, the principal personality in the documentary, made an unsuccessful attempt to sue the documentary's makers for a share of the €2 million profit. One of his main claims was that the film-makers had exploited his image without authorisation.^[7] 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".^[8]

Speaking after the court case, Lopez said that he, the children and their families had been misled by the film's production company about the purpose and intended audience of the film:

"We were misled. The production company told me and the children's families that they were making a small documentary about the phenomenon of the one-teacher village school and that the film would be used primarily for educational purposes. They said it would have a restricted screening, and never discussed marketing the film to make it such a commercial venture....We had no idea that it would be in cinemas all over the country, released on DVD or distributed abroad.^[3]

The court ruled that Lopez's attendance at the Cannes film festival, which he attended with some of the students,^[7] and his repeated public expressions of satisfaction at its success, constituted his tacit acceptance of the use of his image.^[3]

The French media had been critical of Lopez, with one newspaper carrying the headline: "To be and to have: the teacher would rather have." However Lopez said money was never his motivation: "I'm simply trying to make the film company recognise my rights." Lopez was supported in his action by the families of most of his former pupils, some of whom stated that they themselves would also sue the film company.^[3]

Lopez said the unexpected attention the film had brought the young students had traumatised some of them:

"One child, who had been very stable and happy until the film's release, was so distressed by his unexpected fame, that he started wetting the bed, and became afraid of the dark...Other children have been teased at their new secondary schools because of their involvement. All have been subjected to a great deal of stress as a direct consequence of the film."^[3]

Accolades

Award / Film Festival	Category	Recipients and nominees	Result
BBC Four World Cinema Awards			Nominated
British Academy Film Awards	Best Film Not in the English Language		Nominated
César Awards	Best Film		Nominated
	Best Director	Nicolas Philibert	Nominated
	Best Editing	Nicolas Philibert	Won
Directors Guild of Great Britain	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Foreign Language Film		Nominated
European Film Awards	Best Documentary		Won
French Syndicate of Cinema Critics	Best French Film		Won
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival	Jury Award		Won
London Film Critics Circle Awards	Foreign Language Film of the Year		Nominated
Louis Delluc Prize	Best Film		Won
National Society of Film Critics Awards	Best Non-Fiction Film		Won
Online Film & Television Association Award	Best Documentary Picture		Nominated
Valladolid International Film Festival	Best Documentary		Won

References

^ ^a ^b "Etre et avoir". JP's Box-Office.
^ "Festival de Cannes: To Be and to Have". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Amelia Gentleman (3 October 2004). "Film's fallen hero fights on for his class". The Guardian. London.
^ "Être et avoir – IMDb". IMDb.
^ "To Be and to Have (Etre et Avoir) (2003)". Rotten Tomatoes.
^ "To Be and to Have". Metacritic.
^ ^a ^b "French film star teacher sues". BBC News. 13 October 2003.
^ Amelia Gentleman (29 September 2004). "Defeat for teacher who sued over film profits". The Guardian. London.

External links

To Be and to Have at IMDb
‹The template AllMovie title is being considered for deletion.› To Be and to Have at AllMovie
To Be and to Have at Rotten Tomatoes
To Be and to Have at Metacritic
To Be and to Have at Box Office Mojo

[JP-1] "Etre et avoir". JP's Box-Office.

[festival-cannes.com-2] "Festival de Cannes: To Be and to Have". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-11-03.

[guardian_04-10-03-3] Amelia Gentleman (3 October 2004). "Film's fallen hero fights on for his class". The Guardian. London.

[4] "Être et avoir – IMDb". IMDb.

[5] "To Be and to Have (Etre et Avoir) (2003)". Rotten Tomatoes.

[6] "To Be and to Have". Metacritic.

[bbc_03-10-13-7] "French film star teacher sues". BBC News. 13 October 2003.

[8] Amelia Gentleman (29 September 2004). "Defeat for teacher who sued over film profits". The Guardian. London.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Infobox film
-| name           = To Be and To Have<br /><small>(Être et avoir)</small>
+| name           = To Be and to Have<br /><small>(Être et avoir)</small>
 | image          = Etre et Avoir poster.jpg
 | caption        = Theatrical release poster
 | director       = [[Nicolas Philibert]]
 | producer       = Gilles Sandoz
-| writer         =
+| writer         = Nicolas Philibert
 | narrator       =
-| music          = Philippe Hersant
+| music          = [[Philippe Hersant]]
-| cinematography = Laurent Didier<br />Katell Djian<br />Hugues Gemignani<br />Nicolas Philibert
+| cinematography = Laurent Didier<br>Katell Djian<br>Hugues Gemignani<br>Nicolas Philibert
 | editing        = Nicolas Philibert
-| distributor    =
+| distributor    = [[Les Films du Losange]]
-| released       = May 19, 2002
+| released       = {{film date|2002|5|19|[[2002 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes]]|2002|8|28|France|df=yes}}
 | runtime        = 104 minutes
 | country        = France
 | language       = French
+| budget         = €1 million<ref name="JP">{{cite web|url=http://www.jpbox-office.com/fichfilm.php?id=1762|title=Etre et avoir |work=JP's Box-Office}}</ref>
-| budget         =
-| gross          = 15,486,840 €
+| gross          = $16.1 million<ref name="JP"/>
-| preceded_by    =
-| followed_by    =
 }}
-'''''To Be and To Have''''' ({{lang-fr|'''Être et Avoir'''}}; also the UK title) is a 2002 [[France|French]] [[documentary film]] directed by [[Nicolas Philibert]] about a small rural school. It was nominated as an "Out of Competition" film at the [[2002 Cannes Film Festival]] <ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/3158545/year/2002.html |title=Festival de Cannes: To Be and to Have |accessdate=2009-11-03|work=festival-cannes.com}}</ref> and achieved commercial success.<ref name="guardian 04-10-03">{{cite news
+'''''To Be and To Have''''' ({{langx|fr|'''Être et avoir'''}}; also the UK title) is a 2002 French [[documentary film]] directed by [[Nicolas Philibert]] about a small rural school. It was screened as an "Out of Competition" film at the [[2002 Cannes Film Festival]]<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/3158545/year/2002.html |title=Festival de Cannes: To Be and to Have |access-date=2009-11-03|work=festival-cannes.com}}</ref> and achieved commercial success.<ref name="guardian 04-10-03">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/oct/03/film.france|work=[[The Guardian]]|location=London|author=Amelia Gentleman|title=Film's fallen hero fights on for his class
-|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/oct/03/film.france
-|publisher=[[The Guardian]]
-|author=Amelia Gentleman
-|title=Film's fallen hero fights on for his class
 |date=3 October 2004}}</ref> The film became the subject of an unsuccessful legal action by the school's teacher, who said that he and the children's parents had been misled about the film's intended audience, and that he and the children had been exploited.
-The documentary's title translates as "to be and to have", the two [[auxiliary verb]]s in the [[French language]]. It is about a [[primary school]] in the [[Commune in France|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, Mr Georges, who shows patience and respect for the children as we follow their story through a single school year.
+The documentary's title translates as "to be and to have", the two [[auxiliary verb]]s in the [[French language]]. It is about a [[primary school]] in the [[Commune in France|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, Mr Lopez, who shows patience and respect for the children as we follow their story through a single school year.
-The film won several awards, including the 2003 [[Sacramento French Film Festival]] Audience Prize.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318202/awards Awards for Être et avoir]</ref>
+The film won several awards, including the 2003 [[Sacramento French Film Festival]] Audience Prize.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318202/awards|title=Être et avoir – IMDb|publisher=IMDb}}</ref>
+==Critical response==
+On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 97%, based on 59 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A small, sensitive, and moving portrait of a teacher and his students."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/to_be_and_to_have |title=To Be and to Have (Etre et Avoir) (2003) |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]] the film has a score of 87 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/to-be-and-to-have |title=To Be and to Have |publisher=Metacritic }}</ref>
 ==Lawsuit==
-Following the film's popularity in cinemas, Lopez, the principal personality in the documentary, made an unsuccessful attempt to sue the documentary's makers for a share of the [[Euro|€]]2 million profit. One of his main claims was that the film-makers had exploited his image without authorisation.<ref name="bbc 03-10-13">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3187656.stm|publisher=[[The BBC]]|title=French film star teacher sues |date=13 October 2003}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,12589,1315116,00.html|publisher=[[The Guardian]]|author=Amelia Gentleman|title=Defeat for teacher who sued over film profits|date=29 September 2004}}</ref>
+Following the film's popularity in cinemas, Lopez, the principal personality in the documentary, made an unsuccessful attempt to sue the documentary's makers for a share of the [[Euro|€]]2 million profit. One of his main claims was that the film-makers had exploited his image without authorisation.<ref name="bbc 03-10-13">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3187656.stm|publisher=[[BBC News]]|title=French film star teacher sues |date=13 October 2003}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,12589,1315116,00.html|work=[[The Guardian]]|location=London|author=Amelia Gentleman|title=Defeat for teacher who sued over film profits|date=29 September 2004}}</ref>
 Speaking after the court case, Lopez said that he, the children and their families had been misled by the film's production company about the purpose and intended audience of the film:
@@ Line 39: / Line 37: @@
 </blockquote>
-The court ruled that Lopez's attendance at the Cannes film festival, which he attended with some of the students,<ref name="bbc 03-10-13" />and his repeated public expressions of satisfaction at its success, constituted his tacit acceptance of the use of his image.<ref name="guardian 04-10-03" />
+The court ruled that Lopez's attendance at the Cannes film festival, which he attended with some of the students,<ref name="bbc 03-10-13" /> and his repeated public expressions of satisfaction at its success, constituted his tacit acceptance of the use of his image.<ref name="guardian 04-10-03" />
 The French media had been critical of Lopez, with one newspaper carrying the headline: "To be and to have: the teacher would rather have." However Lopez said money was never his motivation: "I'm simply trying to make the film company recognise my rights." Lopez was supported in his action by the families of most of his former pupils, some of whom stated that they themselves would also sue the film company.<ref name="guardian 04-10-03" />
 Lopez said the unexpected attention the film had brought the young students had traumatised some of them:
@@ Line 48: / Line 46: @@
 "One child, who had been very stable and happy until the film's release, was so distressed by his unexpected fame, that he started wetting the bed, and became afraid of the dark...Other children have been teased at their new secondary schools because of their involvement. All have been subjected to a great deal of stress as a direct consequence of the film."<ref name="guardian 04-10-03" />
 </blockquote>
+==Accolades==
+{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
+|- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
+! scope="col"|Award / Film Festival
+! scope="col"|Category
+! scope="col"|Recipients and nominees
+! scope="col"|Result
+|-
+|[[BBC Four World Cinema Awards]]
+!
+!
+| {{nom}}
+|-
+|[[57th British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards]]
+|[[BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language|Best Film Not in the English Language]]
+!
+| {{nom}}
+|-
+|rowspan=3|[[28th César Awards|César Awards]]
+|[[César Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
+!
+| {{nom}}
+|-
+|[[César Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
+|[[Nicolas Philibert]]
+| {{nom}}
+|-
+|[[César Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]]
+|Nicolas Philibert
+| {{won}}
+|-
+|[[Directors Guild of Great Britain]]
+|Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Foreign Language Film
+!
+| {{nom}}
+|-
+|[[15th European Film Awards|European Film Awards]]
+|[[European Film Award for Best Documentary|Best Documentary]]
+!
+| {{won}}
+|-
+|[[French Syndicate of Cinema Critics]]
+|Best French Film
+!
+| {{won}}
+|-
+|[[Full Frame Documentary Film Festival]]
+|Jury Award
+!
+| {{won}}
+|-
+|[[London Film Critics Circle Awards 2003|London Film Critics Circle Awards]]
+|[[London Film Critics' Circle Award for Foreign Language Film of the Year|Foreign Language Film of the Year]]
+!
+| {{nom}}
+|-
+|[[Louis Delluc Prize]]
+|Best Film
+!
+| {{won}}
+|-
+|[[2003 National Society of Film Critics Awards|National Society of Film Critics Awards]]
+|[[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Non-Fiction Film|Best Non-Fiction Film]]
+!
+| {{won}}
+|-
+|Online Film & Television Association Award
+|Best Documentary Picture
+!
+| {{nom}}
+|-
+|[[Valladolid International Film Festival]]
+|Best Documentary
+!
+| {{won}}
+|}
 ==References==
@@ Line 53: / Line 128: @@
 ==External links==
-*{{imdb title|id=0318202|title=Être et avoir}}
+*{{IMDb title|id=0318202}}
-*{{Amg movie|265268|To Be and to Have}}
+*{{AllMovie title|265268|To Be and to Have}}
 *{{rotten-tomatoes|id=to_be_and_to_have|title=To Be and to Have}}
-*{{metacritic film|id=to-be-and-to-have|title=To Be and to Have}}
+*{{Metacritic film|title=To Be and to Have}}
 *{{mojo title|id=tobeandtohave|title=To Be and to Have}}
+{{Navboxes
-{{DEFAULTSORT:To Be And To Have}}
+|title = Awards for ''To Be and to Have''
+|list1 =
+{{European Film Award for Best Documentary}}
+{{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Non-Fiction Film}}
+}}
+{{Authority control}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:To Be And to Have}}
 [[Category:2002 films]]
 [[Category:French documentary films]]
-[[Category:French films]]
+[[Category:2000s French-language films]]
-[[Category:French-language films]]
 [[Category:Documentary films about children]]
 [[Category:Films directed by Nicolas Philibert]]
-[[Category:Films about educators]]
+[[Category:Documentary films about education]]
-[[Category:2000s documentary films]]
+[[Category:2002 documentary films]]
+[[Category:Louis Delluc Prize winners]]
+[[Category:European Film Awards winners (films)]]
-[[de:Sein und Haben]]
-[[es:Ser y tener]]
+[[Category:Films set in schools]]
-[[fr:Être et avoir]]
+[[Category:2000s French films]]
+[[Category:Films scored by Philippe Hersant]]
-[[gl:Être et avoir]]
+[[Category:Les Films du Losange films]]
-[[it:Essere e avere]]
-[[nl:Être et avoir]]
-[[pt:Être et avoir]]
-[[fi:Nytpä tahdon olla mä]]
-[[zh:山村犹有读书声]]

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	Germany
Other	IdRef