To Be and to Have
Être et avoir
“An observation of the humanity of young people.”
Synopsis
The documentary's title translates as "to be and to have", the two auxiliary verbs in the French language. It is about a primary school in the commune of Saint-Étienne-sur-Usson, Puy-de-Dôme, France, the population of which is just over 200. The school has one small class of mixed ages (from four to twelve years), with a dedicated teacher, Georges Lopez, who shows patience and respect for the children as we follow their story through a single school year.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
etre et avoir
Type: Trailer • Published 2009-01-18
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Georges Lopez
Self, teacher
Johan
Self, 4 year old - Jojo
Alizé
Self, 3 year old
Guillaume
Self, 9 year old
Létitia
Self, 4 year old
Johann
Self, 4 year old
Jonathan
Self, 10 year old
Olivier
Self, 10 year old
Laura
Self, 7 year old
Marie-Elizabeth
Self, 4 year old
Julien
Self, 10 year old
Nathalie
Self, 11 year old
Jessie
Self, 4 year old
Axel
Self, 6 year old
Release History & Theatrical Window
Cinemania Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
September 5, 2003
Wide Cinema Exhibition
March 5, 2003
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$1M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
Pending
Total global ticket sales
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Nicolas Philibert
- Screenplay & Story
- Nicolas Philibert
- Original Score
- Philippe Hersant
- Original Title
- Être et avoir
- Country of Origin
- France
- Spoken Languages
- French
- Runtime
- 1h 44m
- Production Budget
- $1M
- Production Studios
- Gimages 204, Les Films d'Ici, ARTE France Cinéma, Maïa Films
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Nicolas Philibert
Nicolas Philibert
Philippe Hersant
Katell Djian, Laurent Didier, Hugues Gemignani
Nicolas Philibert
Gilles Sandoz
Department Leadership Roster
Nicolas Philibert
Director
Katell Djian
Director of Photography
Laurent Didier
Director of Photography
Nicolas Philibert
Editor
Gilles Sandoz
Producer
Hugues Gemignani
Director of Photography
Nicolas Philibert
Writer
Philippe Hersant
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for To Be and to Have.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring To Be and to Have.
Letterboxd's Top 250 Documentary Films
Letterboxd's official Top 250 documentary feature films, ranked by average member rating. Letterboxd 官方 Top 250 最佳纪录长片榜单： 根据平台用户的平均评分进行排序的纪录长片精选榜单。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:35:45 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About To Be and to Have
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is To Be and to Have about?
The documentary's title translates as "to be and to have", the two auxiliary verbs in the French language. It is about a primary school in the commune of Saint-Étienne-sur-Usson, Puy-de-Dôme, France, the population of which is just over 200. The school has one small class of mixed ages (from four to twelve years), with a dedicated teacher, Georges Lopez, who shows patience and respect for the children as we follow their story through a single school year.
Who directed To Be and to Have?
To Be and to Have was directed by Nicolas Philibert.
Who stars in To Be and to Have?
The principal cast of To Be and to Have includes Georges Lopez, Johan, Alizé, Guillaume, Létitia.
When was To Be and to Have released and how long is it?
To Be and to Have was released in 2002 with a total runtime of 1h 44m.
Who composed the musical score for To Be and to Have?
The original motion picture soundtrack for To Be and to Have was composed by Philippe Hersant.
What is the age rating and content advisory for To Be and to Have?
To Be and to Have holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).