Citation

Tarte KB. French Review 2014; 87(3): 51-64.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Philippe Falardeau's Monsieur Lazhar (2011) depicts the arrival of an outsider at a Montreal primary school that has just been shocked by a beloved teacher's suicide. Bachir Lazhar, who presents himself as an experienced teacher from Algiers, must negotiate the confusing atmosphere of the troubled school. He is also dealing with disturbing memories from his own recent past. As the film follows the new teacher during the remainder of the academic year, it foregrounds the many things Lazhar does not understand: The school's rules and customs, the reasons for the teacher's suicide, and the particularities of the French spoken by its Quebecois staff and students.

Language: en