Lessons from a Calf

It’s October 1988, and an elementary school class in the Japanese city of Ina is discussing the arrival of a calf. Caring for the animal is part of the school’s integrated learning approach: instead of memorizing dry subject matter from books, the children learn through practical experience. They calculate how much it will cost to feed Laura the calf for a year. They build a stall, head outdoors to find the right leaves for the floor (oak and zelkova, not ginkgo), and take responsibility for Laura’s care.

With this documentary, Hirokazu Kore-eda, now one of Japan’s leading contemporary filmmakers, took his first steps into the world of cinema. Playfully and curiously, he follows the children while also portraying an educational system in which learning is rooted in the world around them. At the end of the film, the children have to decide whether Laura should return to the ranch. With tearful eyes and trembling voices, they weigh the arguments for and against in a moving reflection on the lessons Laura has taught them.