Philibert spends a year documenting the special phenomenon that is still found in France; a school comprised of one classroom in a small village, with 12 pupils aged between four and ten, who learn all their subjects from the teacher, Georges Lopez. With his charming and authoritative personality, he teaches the children, guides them with great patience, and follows them through adolescence.

Without forcing his opinion on the audience, Philibert leads us to ponder about the virtues of this method, the difficulties it incurs, and the multifaceted personality of Lopez.

This is his most successful film so far, and has been screened in cinemas in many countries including Israel.