Louise Violet (2024)

[bunniefuu]

I did not support

your application.

I find this position

unsuitable for a woman.

This profession requires strength.

Nevertheless, it was decided

to give you a chance.

I was asked

to assign you a position.

I have your letter of assignment here.

Prove your suitability,

and we'll see each other in three years,

if we find something

less challenging for you.

I will do my best.

I doubt you'll even make it

through the first term.

Given your past,

we cannot tolerate any violations.

Your conduct must be exemplary.

I find the Republic very generous

in this matter, Mademoiselle.

Time to pay your debt.

This way.

Thank you.

Go on, run.

I finally received my assignment.

Almost a month late.

The journey went well,

but it was a long way.

It seemed as if winter

was already lurking behind autumn.

But I have been living in winter

for so long.

I crossed France.

I had forgotten this country.

Here the sky hangs low,

and the earth is rich.

I couldn't have stayed

in Paris any longer anyway.

Too many memories.

Perhaps I am running away.

I have made it my mission

to spread our ideas.

Ignorance causes so much suffering.

I wish you were here.

I will miss our laughter.

Forever, Louise.

Good day, ma'am.

Could you please tell me

where to find the mayor?

You're getting on my nerves!

- Rmi, come back.

Because of the debts,

you decide for me?

I'm buying a round!

Rmi, don't be offended.

Will you pay me back?

Excuse me.

Do you know

where I can find the mayor?

Who's asking?

Louise Violet, like the color.

I'm the new teacher.

The last teacher here

was old Millard.

A non-commissioned officer,

lost an arm in Solferino.

He died before I could walk.

- Has no one taught since then?

It wasn't like now,

it wasn't compulsory.

That's all well and good,

but laws alone don't accomplish anything.

On Sundays, the priest would come

now and then after mass.

Not even that anymore.

In any case, Millard was a teacher.

He died of a lung ailment.

I hope

you can handle the cold better.

The winter here

isn't like in Paris.

So you can read and do sums?

I graduated from the 'cole normale'.

Women in school.

What's so 'normal' about that?

Wood is over there,

if you need any.

Tools are across the way in the workshop.

I live right behind here.

I sleep upstairs,

my mother downstairs.

She'll make you some soup.

Make yourself at home.

And my room?

I had a new stable built

behind the woods.

Now you have space here.

But Marguerite is staying.

She feeds the family.

She'll keep you warm.

Your salary is 700 francs.

To pay teachers poorly

is to spoil the profession.

One day you will reap what you sow,

and the harvest will be meager.

We didn't ask for anything.

Whatever they told you in Paris,

classes are only half-day.

You are also

the mayor's secretary,

gravedigger and sexton.

Gravedigger and sexton?

- That's the law.

Postscript:

I will send you photographs

as soon as possible.

First, I must get to know

the inhabitants.

The mayor implied

that school is foreign to them.

But I am confident

I can win them over.

Good morning.

- Good morning.

Good day.

Good day.

I'm the new teacher.

Move along.

Good day, Father.

- Good day.

Good day.

- Good day. I'm Louise...

Louise Violet. Like the color.

The village is small.

News travels fast.

I am Father Francis.

Since when do the Republic's

missionaries wear skirts?

Since when do sextons

wear a hermit's beard?

Some posts are not promotions.

But one can make oneself

useful anywhere.

You will see.

The confessional is open every morning.

- I rarely go to church.

Unusual for a gravedigger.

I do the cleaning myself,

in the church and the rectory.

I can manage on my own during mass.

But for baptisms and communions,

you'll have to make an effort.

Give me the soap, Francine.

Please.

Look at her. You must earn a fortune

to dress up like that.

Here.

Good day.

- Good day.

I'm Thermidor.

At least, that's what they call me.

You weren't here yesterday.

Tell me,

is it always going to be like this?

Because two letters in two days...

That's more than a prefect.

Don't you have anyone to help you?

- I manage just fine on my own.

Here. - Oh, la, la,

you must have ink in your veins.

Because of people like you,

we'll end up with a velocipede.

You know, a velocipede.

We'll make fools of ourselves.

Here, for the stamp.

- Thank you.

So? Did you get the eggs?

Come on, let's hurry.

Could you spread the word on your route

that the school is opening?

Of course.

You'll see,

we have it good here.

In the old days, heads had to roll

to keep the people happy.

Now we get speeches

and garlands.

I'm telling you,

the world is changing.

Maybe you'll be invited, Joseph.

1,500 mayors

are being summoned to Paris.

Thanks, Marthe.

'To celebrate

the 100th anniversary of the Revolution

around the beacon of progress

by Monsieur Eiffel.'

In the presence

of Thomas Edison and Buffalo Bill.'

There will be electricity everywhere.

It'll be bright as day in the middle of the night.

Alright. Is this a town council meeting

or a newspaper reading?

Chatterboxes like them get fatter and fatter

while we break our backs for them.

What good is all this modernity to us?

Nothing.

The phylloxera still got the vines and

the ink disease got the chestnut trees.

If you don't like our land here,

Rmi,

you should have stayed home.

I was born ten kilometers from here.

- My point exactly. A whole other country.

We should slaughter the pig

and share it.

Still better than

getting at each other's throats. Good night.

Is it true the teacher

starts her classes tomorrow?

The problem is the town hall.

The state gives too little for construction.

That means a tax increase.

I can't pay more until spring,

after the fruit harvest.

Then start as a road worker.

Bring your son, he's a hard worker.

In any case,

he'll learn more there than at school.

SCHOOL

What are you doing here?

Are you going to school?

I want to work with wood.

Does your father know? - He thinks

I'm setting bird traps in the woods.

And you prefer the plane

to the thrush?

That's a good piece of wood,

don't ruin it.

School is mandatory. It's the law.

You must enforce it.

Either you send the children to me,

or I'll call the police.

Right now, you're a stranger here.

If you do that, you'll be the enemy.

I had hoped I would be expected.

I was wrong.

I am not welcome.

The weeks go by,

and the children don't come.

Have I failed already?

This world is not my own.

I am exploring it.

It has its own rules.

Our ideas

haven't reached the countryside.

The desire for education doesn't exist.

The law against child labor

may have helped

the sons of factory workers.

But here, nothing has changed.

The happiness of farmhands is a lie.

For the children, it means sl*very.

Our desire for progress

and social justice is not enough.

There is still a need

to persuade people.

However, I can't

even make myself heard.

The children are doomed to repeat

the gestures of their parents.

They work from dawn

to dusk.

For the girls, it's even worse.

How are they to become

citizens of the Republic,

without learning a thing about their country

and its history?

How can they claim their right to vote

without first the right to an education?

How can we build a better society

if no one wants to learn?

Such a waste.

You're here with me.

So you'll eat.

If you want to work, you have to eat.

Thank you.

Your benches won't lure them in.

You have to flush the children out

of their homes.

And win the parents' trust.

Do you think I haven't tried?

No one will even look at me.

You're giving up without a fight?

Do your feet hurt?

So what if they do? They're mine.

What's it to you?

If you need new clogs,

all you have to do is ask.

I never ask for anything,

especially not at my age.

But if I were to ask a question,

I'd wonder

what a girl like you is doing here.

The good Lord is very kind.

Her kind

doesn't often pass through here.

If you don't take your place,

someone else will.

Mind your own knitting.

If you want her to stay,

you have to keep her happy.

The children must

attend their classes.

I don't know

if that's a good idea.

I'm a bit wobbly on these skis.

You always have to push off,

except when going downhill.

Mother is right.

You have to

speak to people in person.

I'll introduce you.

An official tour.

Will your tour be long?

Farmers don't live in the village.

Besides, this is a mountainous area.

With breaks, you should expect it to take a day.

If you keep stopping,

we won't be back until after dark.

Do you make this trip often?

I've always

enjoyed being in the fresh air.

As a child,

I even wanted to be a journeyman carpenter.

Eating fish soup in Marseille.

Ham omelets in Lorraine.

Galettes in Brittany.

The plan didn't work out,

so I'm still here.

If that was your dream,

why didn't you become a journeyman?

Are we sharing our secrets now?

I hope you know what you're doing.

Because this is what the children will give up:

ice skating,

snowballs, chasing frogs,

roaming through the meadows,

freedom.

So far, I've mostly

seen them working.

Freedom is living as you please.

The first farm is behind the trees.

Roger Feuillant's place.

He's a fool,

but he has two children for your class.

You have to convince them.

But you're in their home.

Whatever they offer you, you accept.

If they drink, you drink with them.

Never refuse.

We're not all the same.

- In the eyes of the law, we are.

Beyond that,

there's inequality everywhere.

All the more reason to try

to overcome it.

We have no money for your fees.

We can't afford it.

Things have changed.

School is free.

Free, secular, and compulsory.

That's the Republic for you.

That's all well and good,

but who's in charge here?

You or me?

- You, of course.

Then why should he

become better than his father?

What happens

if he knows more than I do?

He'll kick me out.

He won't know more than you,

just different things.

You will have made him rich:

rich in knowledge.

I can barely feed my family.

And I'm supposed to do without my sons?

The schedule

is based on the farm work.

The fields have to be

worked every day.

Besides,

a teacher costs the community money.

A teacher costs the state

no more than a convict.

That just shows how pointless it is.

I can't read or write.

I get by just fine.

School prepares you

for change and progress.

Are you sure your progress

is actually progress?

You always think

tomorrow will be better.

But can you tell couch grass from ryegrass?

I doubt it.

No, I can't.

But I'd like to learn.

The worst thing about people like you

is your superior silence.

While you're teaching,

my wife and daughter sew at night

for the shops in Paris.

I work my plot of land on Sundays,

because I work elsewhere the rest of the week,

to feed my family.

With a life like that, there's no time

to learn to read.

I'm not against it.

But I'll make you a deal.

You can have the two of them

if you help us with the other one.

Yes.

The doctor can't come because of the snow.

My wife's water broke.

It's a good thing you came.

With all the letters I bring her,

she has no time to be bored.

She even writes more

than she receives.

Anyone who writes that much has character.

She's not lazy.

And you, what are you?

- I'm a civil servant.

Like the schoolmistress.

What about you?

What do you think of the schoolmistress?

She uses too much ink,

but I like her well enough.

Besides, she's a modern woman.

She even takes photographs.

Maybe she'll take

a portrait of me sometime.

Do you hear that?

Do you hear that?

It's a girl!

Shh, it's okay.

We'll name her after you.

Anyone who holds a baby like that

loves children.

Do you have any?

Are we sharing our secrets now?

She'll go to school,

but you still have to give her back.

Come on!

Good morning.

- Good morning.

Good day, Madame.

- Good day.

We've made some soup for you.

- Thank you.

So you can make our children

happier than we can?

The girl is a quick learner.

Her father's pride and joy.

So...

maybe she can become a teacher too.

Do you want to go to school?

Yes, ma'am.

I would like to learn something.

If you want to learn something,

school is the right place.

And me?

Can you teach me

to read and write?

Or is it too late?

It's never too late.

Are you ready?

This is

the first letter of the alphabet.

You draw a circle

and a little tail on it.

Can you name three words

that start with the letter 'a'?

Artichoke.

Apple and dinner?

He's asking if this is the school.

Something happened.

If I were a believer,

I would speak of miracles.

Good day.

Since the birth of little Louise,

people look at me differently.

My skills as a midwife have

made me credible as a teacher.

The world surrounds me.

And I feel like

looking at it again.

To capture it.

To spread it out for all to see.

I feel like

bearing witness again.

Beauty is everywhere,

if you have an eye for it.

Especially in the eyes of children.

One face after another

appeared in my class.

I'll give you a letter.

You write it on your slates.

Then you will tell me

words with this letter.

Blouse.

Mama.

Pair.

Tuna.

Cake.

- Grass snake.

June. July.

The mayor is my ally.

- Joseph.

He is also my most eager student.

Our ideas are revealed through him.

There is talent everywhere.

The winter was hard.

But the harbingers of spring

are already here.

The children enjoy coming to class.

And the progress is spectacular.

You're late, Roger.

- Sorry.

One does not come late to school.

Firmin, seven times seven?

Seven times seven: 49.

Flore, five times five.

Five times five: 25.

- Very good.

Jeanne, six times six.

- Six times six: 36.

Three times two: six.

Three times three: nine.

- Four times four: 16.

I think you would be impressed.

Everyone wants to learn.

They were waiting for a helping hand.

Quickly!

If only you could see this.

We're going to be late!

School is becoming a habit.

But there's still a long way to go.

I have set myself the goal

of leaving no one behind.

In the meantime,

the promised material has arrived.

It took months.

I was about to give up hope.

Finally, I can

realize my ambitions.

France is a hexagon,

it has six sides.

One, two, three,

four, five and six.

Three of them border the sea.

The English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean.

And... Flore?

The Mediterranean Sea.

Our most important mountain ranges are...

Lucette?

The Alps and the Py...

Pyrenees.

- Pyrenees.

Bravo, Lucette.

And Victor.

We must know its geography,

because France is our country.

Our nation.

Now you will take turns naming

a French 'dpartement'.

For now, you can read them,

but you must learn them by heart.

Roland? Will you start?

'Cte-d'Or'.

'Var'.

I don't forget.

I never forget.

But I have the feeling

of being useful.

It allows me to carry on,

to accept that I am alive.

Despite everything.

Despite the memories and the pain.

'Landes'.

Despite the life

that was stolen from me.

I am alive.

Unwillingly, but so it is.

Alive.

For whatever that's worth.

'Seine-et-Marne'.

'Cantal'.

Who can tell me

the highest mountain in France?

No, that's not right.

Stop that right now!

Come help with the hay!

We need all hands on deck!

Don't make me come and get you!

Come on, get a move on.

As if I have nothing better to do.

Rmi's not a bad guy,

but he's been marked.

Everything is going wrong.

I read the notary's letter.

He had to sell a piece of land.

And that really hits you.

Get on with it.

Honorine says

the good Lord has cursed him.

Let God be a good man

and put your back into it.

At this rate,

we'll still be here at Christmas.

Just wait until it rains.

We'll see if you're still laughing then.

Why would it rain?

What do you know about it?

When he's like that, say nothing.

Or you'll get a slap.

Come on, get to work.

The hay

won't stack itself.

Education or not,

farm children have to make hay.

Otherwise, they're not farm children.

Apparently,

she writes letters almost every day.

Alone in her barn,

with only her mail for warmth.

That's no way to live.

Joseph is surely trying to win her over.

If we're done by tonight,

everyone gets a bottle.

Like a rooster in a henhouse.

As the teacher's husband,

he'd have an extra income.

And just like that, Marthe

will make her a daughter-in-law.

Apparently, the mayor

is back in school.

What's next? Can-can lessons?

My mother was right.

Only the rich

can afford such foolishness.

Come on!

A bottle for everyone!

One, two, three.

Arms out like Jesus Christ.

One, two, three.

And frog legs.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

The shore's not far now.

That way you won't drown.

- Keep going.

Thank you for bringing him.

I'll take you with me if you want.

We'll catch frogs. It's really fun.

Flore. Come on, hurry up.

Take the bench,

or you'll never catch up.

Want to join in?

Did you find a spot, Flore?

- Yes.

And we continue. One, two...

...three. One...

Fancy some school?

- Two, three.

Come on, you'll reach America soon.

One, two, three.

Chin up, or you'll be looking at the fish.

One, two...

Flat caps are for factory workers.

A journeyman wears a hat.

We just don't matter to them.

Without her, we'd have nothing.

No books, no blackboard. Nothing.

She had to pay for the chalk

out of her own pocket. - Out of her own pocket?

Come on, Rmi!

Hold on. Careful.

Have a drink. - No time for chit-chat,

I have to work.

We're not here to discuss,

we're here to make decisions.

You have to admit, the teacher

makes Joseph a bit more generous.

Here.

She's demanding

that a school be built.

But the gentlemen at the Ministry

won't hear a word of it.

And how do you know that?

- I read her mail.

And she has style.

Yes, better than the newspaper.

Shouldn't the little one

be in school?

We'll send her

every other day for now. - Yes.

We don't want her getting lazy.

Someone's about to get in trouble.

Where have you been?

Setting snares.

I know you were with him.

And you lie about it, too.

I ought to give you a thrashing.

Make yourself useful

and bring the tools.

It's your turn.

What is that?

A lectern.

- A lectern?

A lectern commands authority.

I'll swap it out after class.

Thank you.

Don't get your hands dirty.

- We're playing ball.

Use your feet. Give that to me.

In school, you speak French.

- With my feet?

That must be hilarious. Come on.

We're playing with our feet!

Finish up.

Are you all right?

- It's nothing, just old age.

Come on, Roland.

He's always been

good with wood.

He even wanted to make a living from it.

But after his brother's death,

he had to take over the farm.

The little one's mother

was a seasonal worker.

She ran off with a fellow from the north

and left her with us.

But Joseph

doesn't regret it.

Because this child...

is his pride and joy.

And you?

What are you hiding from us?

Don't act so surprised. I've

seen too much to be blind.

You're a city person.

You're too good for us.

The fact that you're here,

means that

something must have happened.

Besides, it shows on your face.

You haven't only had good luck.

A woman isn't meant

to be alone.

She needs a roof over her head.

A roof and a man.

I have to get back to class.

You can't avoid getting a man.

You're not ugly enough.

Inside with you.

No, the ball doesn't belong

in the classroom. Come on, Roger.

The French bread is good.

Their policy of cheap bread

is meant to appease the factory workers.

Soon we'll be selling

our wheat at a loss.

It's at 18 francs per hectoliter.

At 16, we'll go bankrupt.

It's the Americans' fault.

They produce too much.

We should impose tariffs on them.

You should go into politics.

Write a letter

to the deputy.

He has to do something to get reelected.

- Soon you'll be writing them yourself.

And maybe one day,

I'll be the deputy.

Why not?

I own most of the land

in the area.

That's what school is for, Joseph.

To awaken ambition.

You've certainly awakened my ambition.

Next year, I'm buying a mechanical

harvester for the crops.

Then I'll even be able to read

how it works.

You were right.

With progress, there will be no more

peasants, only agriculturalists.

And an agriculturalist must know how to read.

As a deputy,

one can't afford to make mistakes.

The two of us could achieve a lot.

Do you want to sleep in a real bed?

In one like yours?

There are worse ones.

I have great respect for you.

If you'll have me, I'll marry you.

The world would be your oyster.

You could continue teaching,

if you wanted.

Buy things for your students,

not just chalk.

I can wait.

I'm in no hurry.

But if you think about it,

you'll see that it makes sense.

I've called an extraordinary

town council meeting.

As the mayor's secretary,

you must be there.

Do you have the bottle?

- Good.

There it is. Have a drink.

- No, later.

Not too much red.

Not too much white.

That's the Republic.

- Beautiful.

I like that word, 'Republic'.

- Yes.

It's a word that makes

a little sound in your mouth.

A tickling sound.

That sound makes you thirsty.

Right, Joseph?

Because today is no ordinary day.

Today is a momentous day.

Today is a day for celebration.

We're celebrating something?

- Yes.

Go on, give it to her.

- Aren't we waiting for Rmi?

He said he wasn't coming.

- Oh, right.

Would the mayor's secretary please

read the council's decision aloud?

'Having confirmed the requirement

that the state funds

for the construction of a public building

be invested within the current year,'

'the town council has decided,'

'to prioritize the future

of the village and its children,'

'and has unanimously resolved

that said budget be used for the construction...'

'...of a schoolhouse.'

And it will be the most beautiful

in the whole department.

And the town hall?

- Well, that's at the mayor's house.

And since we have no money for laborers,

we'll build our school ourselves.

But be warned, we want to see diplomas

and even high school graduates.

Well then... Hey.

To the schoolhouse.

To the schoolhouse!

A new world is taking shape before my eyes.

In Paris, no one expected me

to last even three months.

I'm still here,

and the school seems

to have become everyone's priority.

They unanimously chose the school

over the town hall.

That's what surprises me the most.

This newfound enthusiasm can hardly

be attributed to my work.

Perhaps the call for education is louder

than I thought.

I was wrong about these people.

I saw only selfishness and property here.

But it is also a world of solidarity.

Our esteemed Proudhon

is proven right here every day.

The work of ten men in one hour

is always more productive

than the work of one man

in ten hours.

It's a wonderful thing to see.

The school

is our community project.

The intelligence of the hands is everywhere.

Gestures performed a thousand times

unite in a common effort.

The enthusiasm is real.

And it's a beautiful thing to see.

Do you want some water?

In the future, I must capture this

in a photograph:

the beauty of brotherhood.

I am experiencing an extraordinary moment

of sharing and harmony.

Through our shared will alone,

we are creating a better world.

With a telegraph, your message arrives

the moment you send it.

Listen to me. Listen...

Because it makes a little sound.

Don't believe everything in the papers.

- It wasn't in the papers.

Fernand told me.

From his schoolbook.

Lucien!

Tell Dsir to stop

sneaking around Jeanne.

Or he'll get a taste of my shotgun.

- Hey, calm down.

That's how it is at their age.

Have a drink. It's your vintage.

Jeanne should save herself.

I warned your son.

He'll stay away from her!

Have you said what you wanted to say?

Then stop shouting.

- Folks, it's Sunday.

No fighting and no letters.

Today is the Lord's day,

the day of bliss and the postman.

And what about the roof?

Tiles or thatch?

She'll like that, huh?

- She certainly will.

She says we're good people.

- She's talking about us?

You read her letters. Say it.

Just because I read them,

doesn't mean I have to tell everything.

The mail is sacred.

Who is she writing to?

You're too stupid for school.

Like your father, a good-for-nothing.

Firmin!

Firmin, Fernand!

Stop it right now!

Firmin, Fernand.

Leave it, I'll finish this alone.

Go on ahead,

I'll catch up.

Come on, come. Come.

Wait, no.

No.

- Quick.

Are you coming to class?

- I want to travel.

One doesn't exclude the other.

On the contrary.

Do you like trains?

- Someday I'll take the train.

I'll travel through France.

I'll go on my journeyman years.

Do you know

what this is called?

'Two Children on a Journey Through France'.

If you could read...

- I'll travel alone.

What do you have there?

- A cricket cage.

Did you make it?

- Yes.

Is it for me?

- No.

You're really talented.

Here, take it if you want.

It has drawings and photographs inside.

I'll lend it to you.

Tell me what you think of it.

I'll save you a seat

next to Flore in the new school.

You could at least try it.

Not all paths

have to go through education.

Maybe that's not the path for him.

Come on, go home.

Why are you telling him that?

He has to go to school.

Learn to read, to write.

To think!

- As if he didn't do that before.

Why are you even here?

We've already

loaded everything onto the cart.

Weren't we supposed to meet there?

Because you're so sure

that you're right,

you forget

that there are other ways.

You don't have to

teach us how to think.

We have our life, our culture.

They're ours!

If you want to change that,

that's your business.

Just don't act

as if you don't know that.

Because you know it very well.

- What's wrong with you?

If they can read and write,

the children leave the fields,

and become civil servants.

In starched shirts

and with sleeve protectors.

Good citizens

who keep the machine running.

And one day they'll die in

battle to save your Republic.

Maybe you call that 'thinking',

but I don't.

I gave you a roof

and a school.

Yes or no?

Yes.

Is it true

that you're for communal property?

Who told you that?

- Thermidor.

He says you were in the Commune

and still write to those guys.

That you were even in prison.

Does he read my mail?

The postman isn't the problem.

You are.

The land here will not be divided.

It belongs to the farmers.

Don't put such ideas

into the children's heads.

My teaching and my convictions

are two different things.

Those are just words.

They mean nothing at all.

I'll keep my word.

You have your school.

But one wrong word to the children,

and you're out of here.

Do you understand?

For now, the school stays as is.

We'll deal with the roof later.

She was chatting with him at the well.

She wants to share everything:

potatoes and men.

I told you something was fishy.

Public education must be great.

Acting sweet,

but spreading your legs for everyone.

We shouldn't have given her

our children.

You might still be able to get them out.

So your Jeanne ran off?

Don't worry.

Dsir will take care of her.

Good that they're together.

- Maybe it's for the best.

Some things here you don't want to see.

- Definitely not.

Beware of strangers.

If they're here, it means

they were unwanted where they came from.

You have to know

when it's time to leave.

Especially

when you've cheated good people.

Some stains

don't come out with scrubbing.

The stains are on your eyes.

Do you hear that?

I've seen women like you

everywhere.

You defile everything

you look at.

A sl*t wants to teach lessons?

I'll break you of that habit,

my little one.

Go, Honorine!

- Go, Honorine!

Go!

- Go! Go, Honorine!

He goes to school. He learns to read

and write and becomes a biologist.

For years, he works

every evening by candlelight.

And one day he invents

a vaccine that will save lives.

Maybe you'll be

the next Louis Pasteur, Victor.

Anything is possible.

Maybe Fernand will be an explorer.

Roland, a train conductor.

Mathilde, a journalist.

Firmin, a lawyer.

Lucette, an actress.

Roger, a vet or even a minister.

- I want to be a farmer.

You'll do what you want.

The main thing is to have a choice.

That's why you're here.

To seize such a life,

your life.

I look at you

and see the great men of tomorrow.

The women will change things too.

There will be women and men

who write poems,

invent medicines,

discover planets,

save lives!

Louis Pasteur was a farmer's son,

just like all of you.

As a man of the people,

he gave back to the people.

He should be an example to us all.

Does anyone know which disease

his vaccine cured?

Rabies.

- Bravo, Victor.

Rabies.

Goodbye, Madame.

- Goodbye.

Goodbye, Madame.

Madame?

Is it true

that you were in prison?

Yes.

We have to go home.

Let's go.

Look, I found a cicada.

- Leave me alone.

Look how it tickles.

- Stop it.

Good day.

Good day, Father.

How is my altar boy?

Now that we're neighbors,

I hope to see you more often.

At least you have some air.

A podium?

Words from on high

fall on more receptive ears.

The teacher's podium

is the priest's pulpit.

No cross?

Not until a map of France

hangs in your church.

Some priests

refuse the sacraments to families,

who send their children

to the Republic's school.

I don't want to be one of them.

- What brings you here?

I'm worried.

Your youthful sins

have become the talk of the town.

I regret nothing. And my past

is my business alone.

The sinner will sin again.

You can do nothing

about the rumors.

Whoever looks after our children

must be a role model.

My experience has taught me:

Morality is also taught by example.

Not everyone who lives in a stable

is Jesus.

You're in my classroom, Father.

I'm the one who teaches the lessons here.

Spare me your sermons.

I was in prison for ten years.

My debt is paid.

I owe nothing more to anyone

and I am free.

As a woman,

you might be able to claim that.

But as a teacher, certainly not.

And contrary to

your apparent belief,

one always teaches

what one believes.

Was the mayor at confession?

- It remains to be seen what you believe.

The Paris Commune was quite bloody.

We just wanted to defend our homes

and give bread to the hungry.

What do you want?

A confession?

The truth.

No one goes to prison for no reason.

I saw women

slit open on g*n carriages.

Girls, r*ped by officers of the law.

Men who were massacred

just for wanting to keep hope alive.

Yes, I was tempted

to use violence.

I found this world unjust.

In prison,

the village children saved my life.

I wanted to die.

But they waited for me every morning

so I could read them stories.

There was so much curiosity in their eyes,

so much thirst for knowledge.

My students keep me alive.

You should calm things down

and show some goodwill.

Should I go to mass?

- To mass? No.

To church? Yes.

You can't stop people

from talking.

Staying alone is not the answer.

Joseph only wants what's best for you.

Marthe!

Marthe!

She collapsed

in her garden!

Gabriel, any news?

- Yes, she gave birth this morning.

Ah, that's good.

We're holding a wake, but life

has found a way once again.

Yes, and not just any way.

It's the most beautiful baby in the world.

Thank you, Flore, that's kind.

Here.

- That's good.

The old woman couldn't stand

that bloodthirsty woman.

It ate away at her heart.

- She has to go.

That way I can tell her what's new.

And hear if everything is alright.

You'll do it your way.

I know it will be fine.

Don't you worry, Lonie.

Your Jeanne will love these letters.

Our teacher

is a very good writer.

What?

Please stop

reading my letters.

I'm saying goodbye to Marthe.

- I'll come with you.

Get up.

- I'm not doing anything wrong.

Do as I say.

Put that knife away.

He likes wood.

He should like the earth.

It's what feeds him.

I told you

to get lost!

Look at you two. You and the teacher,

stealing other people's children.

Be quiet.

This is not the time or place.

Rmi, please, not now, not here.

- Stay out of this, Father.

It's her fault Jeanne is gone.

She put those ideas in her head.

Calm down, Rmi.

Your daughter will be back.

Luckily, she has Dsir.

To wh*re around in Paris?

- To be a housemaid.

What's the difference?

She'll sell herself.

She's no longer my daughter.

And Jules isn't going to your school.

So you don't need to give him any books.

Do you hear me?

You have no business here.

You're with us now,

not at home.

We can't give her our children.

Someone should

burn down her damn school!

Here.

- No.

Stop it.

He means no harm.

He's just had a drink, because of Jeanne.

You think you're the master of the house,

with a woman under your roof,

who wants nothing to do with you?

You poor fool.

Did you tell the teacher

that you paid off everyone's debts

so we'd vote for your school?

That's enough, Rmi.

Go home.

Come on.

- She still won't sleep with you.

The honorable Mr. Mayor.

- Hey, calm down, Rmi.

This won't solve anything.

It's the grief talking.

You're not yourself.

Come on.

Go back to your valley.

You're just looking for a fight.

Time for dinner.

My daughter and I

are going to need someone in the house.

I still want you, despite everything.

But you have to make a choice.

You wanted to know the truth.

The truth is,

I've been dead for a long time.

My life ended

when they took everything from me.

My husband and I

were on the barricades.

He took photographs to save those men

and women from being forgotten.

There was so much courage,

joy,

passion.

We had to immortalize the beauty

of the people of Paris.

Then they hunted him down.

They set my apartment on fire.

My husband and my children were inside.

I can still hear my children's screams

and the soldiers' laughter.

I wanted to k*ll them all.

But there were too many of them.

Over time,

hate and tears wear you down.

They rob you of everything.

Even your memories.

The memory of the other's body,

of his hands on your skin.

Even the faces of my own children

are fading.

I have nothing left.

Nothing.

I'm sorry.

Hail.

Who does God confide in?

I've been hearing confessions

for over 30 years.

I've heard enough horrors

to give rise to doubt.

Often in humanity,

but sometimes, even in God.

I often reach my limits.

I no longer know what to think.

Or what to believe.

Can you teach in your church

until a new teacher is sent?

He was shouting over the hail that

his entire fruit harvest was lost.

That all he had left was his son,

and you can't take him away.

Alright, he may have been drunk, but...

Those are the words of an unhappy man.

I'm burying my mother,

but he's the unhappy one.

Rmi isn't a bad fellow.

But a man with nothing left

has nothing left to lose.

'Charente', 'Charente-Maritime'.

'Cher', 'Constantine'.

I need to talk to you.

'Corrze', 'Calais'.

- What are you doing?

I'm reviewing the 'dpartements'.

You'd be better off making us dinner.

I still have division to do.

First and foremost, you'll do

what I tell you!

Get a bucket for the milk.

Alright, maybe I'll go then.

- You do that.

Tell them

that Joseph is still the boss at home.

Do you think you can buy me?

- I'm not buying anything or anyone.

I made you an offer,

a good one.

It's up to you

to decide whether to accept it.

You're leaving us?

My letter of resignation.

If I'm no longer trusted

in 'Brezons',

I have no reason to be here anymore.

There are other children, other villages.

I'll go where people want to learn.

I want you to stay.

- It was all wrong from the start.

You didn't want a school.

You bought their votes.

You lied to us.

- Never.

I just didn't tell you

anything about my life.

Why do you still write to those people?

Because they're in prison.

My friends

took up arms again.

They were locked up again.

I chose a different path,

but I haven't forgotten them.

I also believe

that the land should belong to everyone

and that everyone should eat

until they are full.

I chose the blackboard instead of bombs.

I would never force my ideas

on the children.

But my body belongs to me alone.

What's going on?

Water the trees!

Water the trees!

It's too late for the school! The trees!

- Quick!

Want some wine?

- No, thanks. Later.

The scythe is a bad habit.

It leaves nothing for the gleaners.

The sickle gives something back to the poor.

Look. They say

she quit and is leaving.

The police will probably

get to 'Rmi' today.

He certainly doesn't want to run into her.

The fact she rejected 'Joseph',

with all his money...

Say what you will,

but she's got guts.

Where is she going?

That's not the way to Paris.

'Jules'?

'Jules'?

Is anyone here?

What are you doing here?

Haven't you done

enough damage?

I want to talk to your son.

He's not here.

Now get out.

Get out, I said!

'Rmi'?

What are you doing?

If you come any closer,

I'll k*ll her.

Don't do it.

'Joseph' is right.

I'm quarrelsome.

I'm useless.

I can't even do that right.

Think of 'Jules'.

He needs you.

He ran away too.

If you see him, tell him

not to become like his father.

Don't come any closer!

You won't sh**t.

You're not a m*rder*r.

No!

I can't go on.

I want it to stop.

I have nothing left.

Don't say that.

I'm here.

I didn't set your school on fire.

I know.

He can't go to prison.

He didn't do anything.

Unload the carts in the threshing barn.

There are flails in the barn.

Lay the swaths in the yard.

What are you doing here?

Where are you going?

I'm leaving.

You could have waited

until the hat fits you.

Everyone's leaving, and I'm the only one staying.

Did you take any of my tools?

Then what are you doing here?

- Saying goodbye.

Fine.

Did you tell your father

you were leaving?

My father doesn't care.

- I doubt that.

I want to be like you,

not like him.

You want to be alone?

What does it mean,

to be like your father?

Like a man

who loves the earth?

A man who fights alone

against rain, snow, and hail?

A man who makes the greatest sacrifices

for his family?

A man

who feeds others?

A brave man?

You don't want to be like that?

If you're going to leave,

you need a good reason.

There are two kinds of resistance:

the one from without

and the one from within.

That's the most dangerous one.

There's one thing you must never forget:

You think you're working with wood,

but you're working on yourself.

You decide

what kind of wood you want to be:

straight or crooked.

I have to tell you something.

This proves nothing.

It might have been there for a while.

I think he left it there

to divert suspicion from you.

Maybe he's already far away.

We have to find him

before he gets into any more trouble.

We just have to say

that it was me.

He can't go to prison.

He has his whole life ahead of him.

Nobody is going to prison.

Good day, everyone.

Joseph is calling a local council meeting

at his house.

And what's that got to do with me?

- It's about your son, Rmi.

He's there.

At Joseph's place.

Did you get lost on the way?

- No, the wine merchant was late.

You know how it is.

You have a taste, and then another.

Be quiet, you reek of booze.

So you haven't left after all?

- Not yet.

In the meantime, he helped

Flore with the hay.

He's a hard worker.

Like father, like son.

And you?

Don't you have anything to say to the teacher?

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry!

You see?

You just have to want to.

I'm sure it was an accident.

Where are you going?

- To get some kindling.

There's enough here.

Do your division problems.

And take this one with you.

It's time he picked up books

instead of matches.

Are you coming?

Why did he

set your school on fire?

Maybe he didn't

set her school on fire,

but yours.

Arguments are contagious.

Children imitate their parents.

Maybe it's also because

the others rejected him.

It's not always easy

to be disliked.

He probably thought

that's what his father wanted.

He wanted to defend him.

Because he loves him.

I never wanted to start a fire.

I'm going to need a foreman.

Would you be interested?

You can start immediately.

I always told him

you were a good man deep down.

Come on, then.

We'll help you.

That just leaves you and me.

What will you do?

What do you mean?

Are you leaving or staying?

We'll build a new school.

Better than the last one.

If I stay,

it will be as a teacher.

And only as a teacher.

But I can still

court you, can't I?

You're each getting a book that contains all

the words in the French language.

All of them?

- All of them.

Even 'hippopotamus'?

- Even 'hippopotamus'.

Even 'cherry'?

- Even 'cherry'.

Even 'bicycle'?

- Yes. Even 'bicycle'.

Even 'rabies'?

- Even 'rabies'.

Even 'poppy'?

- Even 'poppy'.

Even 'tit'?

- Roger, please.

Alright, hand these out.

It's a gift.

Your first book.

Roger, here.

Here.

Ma'am, it's kind of you to have been

so persistent about the books.

Who told you that?

My father isn't allowed

to read your letters anymore.

So now I read them.

Open your books,

everyone pick a word.

And together we'll read the definition.

Tree.

- Shirt.

Lawyer.

- Hut.

Wheelbarrow.

Iroquois.

Ladder.

Cow.

- Dandelion.

Photography.

- Platypus.

COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY

My father had nothing.

I have a book.

And my son will be a gentleman.