Dutch elementary-school teacher Kiet Engels’s classroom is unique. Made up entirely of immigrant students, most of them refugees from the Middle East, it includes 9-year-old Haya, who rebels by spurning Dutch in favor of her native Arabic; Leanne, a bright 6-year-old Syrian girl overcoming bullying; and Jorj, a class clown whose antics conceal emotional scars. This empathetic, beautifully observed documentary chronicles the children’s stumbles and successes as they deal with both the ordinary challenges of growing up as well as the added pressures of adjusting to a new culture. Guiding them through it all is Miss Kiet, whose loving patience is a testament to the impact a good teacher can make. An Icarus Films release. New York Premiere Miss Kiet’s Children opens at Film Forum on December 13. 

Ages 10 and up