De substituut

A Dutch teacher from Rotterdam substitutes at the Belgian E. Hiel Atheneum Schaarbeek. At the beginning of the documentary, he asks a new colleague for a tip. "Be yourself," she tells him. "It seems that they're a rather demanding group." "This is war, trench warfare," the teacher grimly declares. The stage is set. In the next half hour, we witness a teacher's brave but ill-fated attempts to maintain order in his class, which consists entirely of immigrant youngsters. Despite his strict and intimidating approach, it doesn't take him long to figure out that these quick-witted students are playing tricks on him. They give false names or simply fail to show up for class. Between scenes in class, we see the substitute complaining to his colleagues in the teachers' room. They watch his struggle with malicious delight and give him tips that don't do any good.