In rural France, schoolteacher Georges Lopez educates 12 children. Over a year, he instructs them in one classroom with the traditional tools of French teaching. As the seasons pass, the soon-to-retire Lopez must keep his students disciplined while training the older ones for their imminent exams.

Nicolas Philibert’s 2002 film won the Prix Louis Delluc, a César, the Jury Prize at Full Frame, and Best Documentary from both the European Film Awards and the National Society of Film Critics. Is it any surprise this heartwarming French documentary was a huge hit upon release?