'' To Be and To Have '' ( ; also the UK title ) is a 2002 French documentary film directed by Nicolas Philibert about a small rural school . It was screened as an " Out of Competition " film at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and achieved commercial success . The film became the subject of an unsuccessful legal action by the school 's teacher , who said that he and the children 's parents had been misled about the film 's intended audience , and that he and the children had been exploited
2002 Cannes Film Festival
2002 Cannes Film Festival
To Be and to Have