THIS FILM HAS BEEN RESTORED
by FRENCH FILM ARCHIVES NATIONAL CENTRE FOR CINEMA
THE PANTIN OPEN-AIR SCHOOL
CANDALE STREET (FORMERLY PARC DE LA SEIGNEURIE)
FILM DIRECTED BY JEAN BENOIT-LEVY
CINEMATOGRAPHY: ED. FLOURY
Every morning, the children are brought from their respective neighbourhoods.
The municipal omnibus takes them to the open-air school,
and, in the same way, brings them home in the evening.
Upon their arrival, the children leave their clothes in the cloakroom.
Then, they are given light, cotton clothes to wear.
The school nurse carries out hygiene and prophylaxis measures,
as well as the medical treatments prescribed by the doctors.
She distributes iodotannin syrup.
Never the same spoon...
OPEN-AIR CLASSES
With short, engaging lessons,
the children's intellectual and moral awakening
goes hand-in-hand with their physical development.
On rainy days, classes take place in tents which are open to the south.
THE CHILDREN'S GARDENS
Sowing seeds, seeing the plants grow every day,
looking after them, admiring the blossoms...
...harvesting potatoes and beans!
What precious pleasures! What useful experiences!
Hands are always washed before every meal.
Teeth are brushed every day.
Fresh air stimulates the appetite.
The mood is cheerful as the children eat substantial and varied meals,
always ending with a dessert.
The Mayor often pays the children a visit.
Rest! Silence! Sun!
"For the child who is pallid,
"the great outdoors and their little bed."
The doctor in charge of medical care at the school
monitor's each child's progress
and records it in the school health records.
HEALTH RECORD
ÉDOUARD PIERRE DESMOIN
BORN ON MAY 20TH, 1921
MEDICAL HISTORY: MEASLES, WHOOPING COUGH
GENERAL CONDITION: FRAIL
INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT: GOOD
OBSERVATIONS AND MEASURES TO BE TAKEN:
X-RAYED ON THE 25 OF JUNE 1926
EYE EXAMINATION: GOOD
TO BE MONITORED DURING MEALS
WEIGHT HEIGHT
Free play alternates with games, songs, dances and practical activities.
Little girls display enthusiasm and focus
using vertical looms to weave cushions in a variety of colours.
Other little girls, the oldest being 7, work on a large loom.
With this cloth, the little hands fashion dresses.
Never an afternoon snack without a bowl of milk.
The children's resistance to tuberculosis
largely depends on their lung capacity,
which we have succeeded in helping them develop.
Closed-mouth breathing exercises, songs and dances.
Making the child happy, will, later, make him a better man.
The open-air school is the school of health, strength and joy.
Its influence on the children is uplifting.
Everything moves, enchants and instructs them.
Subtitles: Michael Craig & Eurielle Mir-Padina