Set in Montreal, the film opens in a snowy school yard with children in recess. As per classroom routine, a little boy brings the snack to the classroom before recess ends. When he opens the classroom door, the little boy finds his teacher hanging from the ceiling in a successful suicide.
Enter **Monsieur Lazhar** (Mohammed Fellag), an Algerian refugee who offers his services as a substitute school teacher. While the principal expresses concern over teaching credentials and the children find the Algerian's teaching methods disruptive, Lazhar instinctly begins the healing process for the community.
For classroom authenticity, **Monsieur Lazhar** is a truthful motion picture. The emotional pain is real, however youth has a way of distracting it with humor. The poker faced Lazhar accepts this childlike behavior, yet his pain in private life is just as comparable.
With **Sun Fest** to the north of us and the welcome return of the **Lauderdale Air Show,** a quiet film like **Monsieur Lazhar** should not be lost in roar of engines and the high decibels of a Fender Amplifier. **Monsieur Lazhar** opens tomorrow at the **Living Room Theater** on the Florida Atlantic University campus.
