A quiet, solitary man, Olivier is a carpentry master in a school where troubled juveniles undergo social rehabilitation. The arrival of a new sixteen-year-old student, Francis, makes the teacher uneasy. The teenager tells Olivier that he would like to join his carpentry workshop, and although, at first, Olivier refuses the boy’s request, finally he gives in and lets Francis join the group. Gradually, an ambiguous relationship develops between the teacher and student, and the young apprentice asks Oliver if he will become his tutor. One day when they are alone, Olivier badgers Francis with questions and makes a disconcerting discovery and revelation. After so much suffering, can compassionate love bring healing to both the boy and the Master?

Directed by: Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Belgium, 2002 - French with English subtitles