Bachir Lazhar, Algérien de 50 ans, va prendre en charge une classe de 6ème année, suite au décès de leur institutrice. Celui-ci va tisser des liens avec sa nouvelle classe. Mais Bachir cache un secret…

Adapté d’une pièce de théâtre d’Evelyne de la Chenelière, MONSIEUR LAZHAR met en images la rencontre de deux mondes et la puissance de la parole.

Réalisation : Philippe Falardeau
Pays : Québec
Année : 2011

35 mm, Couleur, 1h30 min

ACTEURS
Bachir Lazhar__ Fellag
Alice__ Sophie Nélisse
Simon__ Émilien Néron
Madame Vaillancourt__ Danielle Proulx
Claire__ Brigitte Poupart
Concierge__ Louis Champagne
Gaston__ Jules Philip
Madame Dumas__ Francine Ruel
Audrée__ Sophie Sanscartier
Abdelmalek__ Seddik Benslimane
Marie-Frédérique__ Marie-Eve Beauregard
Boris__ Louis-David Leblanc
Victor__ Vincent Millard
Commissaire__ André Robitaille
Me Gilbert Danis__ Daniel Gadouas
Père de Marie-Frédérique_ Stéphane Demers
Mère d’Alice__ Evelyne de la Chenelière
Procureur__ Marie Charlesbois
Psychologue__ Nico Lagarde


Scénariste / réalisateur : Philippe Falardeau
D’après la pièce de Evelyne de la Chenelière

Producteurs : Luc Déry et Kim McCraw
Direction de la photographie : Ronald Plante
Montage : Stéphane Lafleur
Conception artistique : Emmanuel Fréchette
Conception des costumes : Francesca Chamberland
Son : Pierre Bertrand, Mathieu Beaudin, Sylvain Bellemare et Bernard Gariépy Strobl
Musique originale : Martin Léon
Producteur délégué : Claude Paiement
Superviseur de postproduction : Érik Daniel
Distribution des rôles : Nathalie Boutrie, Emmanuelle Beaugrand-Champagne et Constance Demontoy

Production : micro_scope
Distribution internationale : Films Distribution



Facebook : www.facebook.com/MonsieurLazhar

page de ressources pédagogiques destinées aux enseignants : http://www.ugcdistribution.fr/monsieur-lazhar-enseignants/

FESTIVALS / AWARDS

2012 | Oscar 2012, Hollywood
Nominé : Oscar du meilleur film en langue étrangère

2011 | FIFF, Namur
* Sélection

2011 | TIFF, Toronto
* Sélection
* Winner: The City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian Feature Film
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/monsieurlazhar

2011 | Locarno, Suisse
* Prix du public

From TIFF darling Philippe Falardeau (La Moitié gauche du frigo, Congorama, C’est pas moi, je le jure!) and the producers of last year’s smash-hit Incendies comes Monsieur Lazhar, one of the most gripping québécois films of the last decade. Expanded from a one-character play by Evelyne de la Chenelière’s, set in a Montreal elementary school, this beautifully crafted character study speaks of loss and death, innocence and guilt, imposture and honesty, in an eloquent and complex, yet simple and fluid manner.

directed by Philippe Falardeau, Québec, 2011, 1h30


PROGRAMMER’S NOTE (TIFF 2011)
From Festival favorite Philippe Falardeau and the producers of last year’s Academy Award®-nominated Incendies comes Monsieur Lazhar, one of the most gripping Québécois films of the last decade. Expanded from a one-character play by Evelyne de la Chenelière, this complex character study speaks of loss, innocence and imposture in an eloquent yet simple manner.

Bachir Lazhar is a middle-aged Algerian immigrant seeking political refuge in Quebec. Bachir jumps at the opportunity to replace a Montreal elementary school teacher who committed suicide one night after class. The school’s overworked principal is initially relieved.

The story focuses on Bachir’s relationship with two of his pupils: a ten-year-old boy traumatized by discovering the body of his teacher, and a girl whose interpretation of the event and resentment toward her friend provoke unforeseen revelations. To these children in shock, Bachir’s traditional teaching methods, in the context of Quebec’s endless pedagogical reforms, may well provide the structure they need. Even if, to Bachir’s dismay, the work of Balzac remains beyond their reach.

Monsieur Lazhar is further proof of Falardeau’s talent for drawing out depth and precision from child actors, as seen in his 2008 film It’s Not Me, I Swear! The fine performances in his latest work reflect the authenticity of the characters, and the story illustrates how adult hypocrisy and little white lies about death can turn a child’s world upside down when fate strikes.

The screenplay’s line of questioning – how should we speak to children about death? – could have led to a very dark and dry film. Monsieur Lazhar is just the opposite: a luminous and tender tale about the lessons we learn from one another, regardless of age. Bachir has much to gain from his pupils, and so do we.
Martin Bilodeau (TIFF 2011, Toronto)

Country: Canada
Year: 2011
Language: French
Runtime: 94m minutes
Format: 35mm

Producers: Luc Dery, Kim McCraw
Production Company: micro_scope inc.
Principal Cast: Fellag, Sophie Nelisse, Émilien Neron, Danielle Proulx, Brigitte Poupart
Screenplay: Philippe Falardeau
Cinematographer: Ronald Plante
Editor: Stéphane Lafleur
Sound: Pierre Bertrand, Mathieu Beaudin, Sylvain Bellemare, Bernard Gariepy Strobl
Music: Martin Leon
Production Designer: Emmanuel Fréchette
Canadian Distributor: Entertainment One
International Sales Agent: Films Distribution