Of all of the French New Wave and Left Bank filmmakers, Francois Truffaut is often though of as the least innovative and the least political. When compared to the likes of Godard and Resnais (both of whom I adore, btw) his work is often looked down upon and seen as simple and obvious. Well, I’d argue that anyone really paying attention to his work should be able to recognize how complex and important his films actually are.
His 1976 film Small Change is the perfect illustration of how Truffaut's work was more often than not an exciting mix of politics and humanity.
A series of vignettes that focus on various children living in a small city in Southern France, Small Change opens with a group of children running through the city to school. From there we spend time with the kids in school and in their homes. There are wonderful scenes—a teacher using a confiscated postcard to teach the class something rather than punish them, a young girl figuring out an innovative way to get a tasty dinner—that shed light on the magical spirit of education and childhood. But Small Change is more than that: Truffaut's classic also deals with issues ranging from students on welfare to the political rights of children.
The entire film is a beautiful, slow build from the innocence of children to the realization that one of the students has been abused, culminating in an impassioned speech by one of the teachers about children and their rights. Truffaut's showcase of seemingly unpolitical, lighthearted moments with the children suddenly has a new meaning when the teacher speaks. His speech transforms Truffaut's film into one that is quite political, albeit in the subtlest of ways.
And the issues in Small Change are still extremely relevant. This past Friday makred the the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. And in the Reform School section of TakePart, we often focus on the strict standards and testing that define the education system and how this often restricts and limits teachers' ability to teach their students about the world and to get them excited about learning. Small Change does a great job of showing how creative learning environments (like Community of Unity, for example) get children pumped to learn more and interested in devoting time to their studies.
We need more examples—on screen and off—that help educators and politicians realize that testing and strict policies are often not the most effective way to get the most from our students. Luckily, we've got exciting current films out there like Precious and wonderful classic films like Small Change to remind us.
If you live in New York City I recommend you check out Small Change when it plays at the FIAF tomorrow night or when a brand new 35mm print of the film opens at the IFC Center on Wednesday. Details and a trailer are below.
Small Change at the FIAF
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at 12:30, 4 & 7:30pm
Florence Gould Hall 55 East 59th Street, NY, NY
Tickets
Small Change at IFC
Wednesday, November 25 - Tuesday, December 1
IFC Center 323 Sixth Avenue at West Third Street
Tickets
Comments