Show + Tell: School Life

School Life is a simple movie to describe. It’s an observational documentary that follows two teachers through a year in the Headfort School, the only primary-age boarding school in Ireland. The school is housed in an 18th-century estate and embraces both traditional values and modern subjects like rock music.

The heart of the movie is the two teachers themselves, and it engages us in wondering about what the school will be like when, after 50 years of teaching, they finally retire. But there’s also the question of what the teachers themselves will do when they leave this stimulating, immersive educational environment that they have helped to create.

Not that any of us are retired or contemplating retirement, but I think the subjects for discussion are pretty appealing.

The last two months of the year being jammed with holidays as they are, this will be the only film discussion I will be doing in November. So, like the teachers, I wonder what I’ll be doing with my Tuesday evenings?

All of which makes it even better that we have such a great film to discuss.

No word on December movies yet, but I’m not terribly sanguine about finding a bunch of appropriate Tuesdays. I’ll let you know.

I hope to see you there, which will be in The Loft at 7:00.

Paul Goodwin

TMHMG