During a harsh Montréal winter, an elementary-school class is left reeling after its teacher commits suicide. Bachir Lazhar, a charismatic Algerian immigrant, fills in as a substitute teacher in the traumatized children's classroom. All the while, he must conceal his personal life: the fact that he is seeking political asylum in Québec–and that, like the children, he has suffered a terrible loss.
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During a harsh Montréal winter, an elementary-school class is left reeling after its teacher commits suicide. Bachir Lazhar, a charismatic Algerian immigrant, fills in as a substitute teacher in the traumatized children's classroom. All the while, he must conceal his personal life: the fact that he is seeking political asylum in Québec–and that, like the children, he has suffered a terrible loss.
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