The Kindergarten Teacher
- original title
- Haganenet
- Director
- Nadav Lapid
- Cast
- Sarit Larry, Avi Shnaidman, Lior Raz
- Country
- France, Israel
- Year
- 2014
- Duration
- 120 min
“Bizarre, beautiful and deeply unsettling… often thrilling to behold.” – The Hollywood Reporter
“It makes for one of the most fascinating, if inscrutable films of the year.” – The Guardian
“The Kindergarten Teacher — the film as well as the character — yearns for different values, for intensity, beauty and meaning.” – The New York Times
In Nadav Lapid’s highly original and mesmerising second feature, selected for the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard, a frustrated nursery school teacher spots a five-year-old poetic prodigy and sets out to both nurture his talent and protect him from corrupting influences. As her protective instincts deliriously spiral into obsession, Avi Shnaidman’s revelatory performance touches on a tantalising ambiguity between control and innocence. Blessed with an auteur’s touch, writer-director Nadav Lapid (Policeman) has crafted a blazing confirmation of his talent.
Winner: Best Israeli Film – Jerusalem Film Festival
Winner: Best Director, International Competition – Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema
Winner: Best Film – Seville European Film Festival
Winner: International New Talent – Grand Prize – Taipei International Film Festival
Nominated: 3 awards – Ophir Awards