France's largest grossing documentary film ever and winner of many awards follows a primary school teacher, M Georges Lopez, over the course of a year, in an isolated dairy farming region in Auvergne, France.

This isn't your ordinary village elementary - the dozen or so children range from four years to about 12 - are taught together in a single classroom. What makes this quiet, intimate documentary so absorbing is the number of interesting and entertaining characters.

Lopez is something of a teaching god, demanding respect and admiration from his students, helping them develop into confident, able kids who will be able to hold their own at senior school. His dedication is clear from the fact that he lives, apparently alone, above the school and his work is his life.

Each morning Lopez carefully lays out the classroom before greeting his charges at the door and beginning a gruelling day, which involves splitting his time between three age groups. When all's done, he tidies the school up and it's time to prepare lessons for the next day.

School takes place six days a week. And on the seventh? He tends the school grounds, of course.

Though Lopez appears fearsome at first, his love of his work shines through and you can only admire his energy. An important element of this breaking of a tough exterior is through his most lovable disruptive student. You promise yourself you won't fall for the charms of Jojo, but you cannot miss the boy as, in an otherwise peaceful classroom, he's a little whirlwind of attention-grabbing mayhem.

Early on, every tiny action of his becomes the lead-in to some bizarre punchline. By the time he's playing with the photocopier you're rolling your eyes, even before some deft editing shows us the inevitable outcome.

If Lopez's handling of Jojo isn't moving enough, his confrontation with Natalie, as she prepares for senior school, is superbly sensitive and you will find yourself longing for many a fine mentor from your past.

Although equal coverage isn't given to all the children, we do get to see their reactions to Monsieur Lopez's devastating and unexpected revelation that he will be retiring shortly. If the children look shell-shocked, they barely compete with the sadness of their teacher, who would clearly prefer to be there until he breathes his last.

This is a beautifully sensitive portrait of a unique school and, a very special teacher. Mr Lopez's increasing openness as the year wears on, tugs at the heartstrings, and his instant pining at the end of term may inspire an odd tear.

Director Nicolas Philibert apparently considered some 300 village schools before chosing to film this one. Although Philibert paces the seasons and the progression of the year through too many shots of the local landscape, his direction remains understated. This is a funny and emotionally affecting film that makes up for any trivial indulgence.