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You can watch Monsieur Lazhar (2011) for free on Hoopla, rent on Apple TV+, or buy on Apple TV+.

During a harsh Montréal winter, an elementary-school class is left reeling after its teacher commits suicide. Bachir Lazhar, a charismatic Algerian immigrant, steps in as the substitute teacher for the classroom of traumatized children. All the while, he must keep his personal life tucked away: the fact that he is seeking political refuge in Québec – and that he, like the children, has suffered an appalling loss.

Bachir Lazhar navigates the heavy silence of a grieving classroom while shielding the scars of his own displaced life. This quiet portrait of resilience finds profound warmth in the fragile, honest exchanges between an immigrant substitute and his students.

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