Oscar nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, Monsieur Lazhar is a deeply moving character study.

When a respected and well-liked Montreal middle school teacher takes her own life, leaving her pupils traumatised, 55-year-old Algerian immigrant Bachir Lazhar (Mohamed Fellag) is hired as a substitute teacher. As he attempts to help the children cope with the tragedy, he is forced to accept his own distressing past - and realises he has as much to learn from his students as they do from him.

Directed by Philippe Falardeau (It's Not Me, I Swear! MIFF 09) and produced by Luc Déry and Kim McCraw (Incendies), Monsieur Lazhar delivers a poignant, beautifully crafted tale about grief, innocence and guilt.

“Quietly intelligent and respectable, has clear crowdpleaser appeal in the arthouse arena.” - Variety

D/S Philippe Falardeau P Luc Déry, Kim McCraw Dist Palace Films L French w/English subtitles TD DCP/2011