By John Corrado
The 2026 Hot Docs Film Festival runs from April 23rd to May 3rd in Toronto
Quebec filmmaker Jean-François Caissy’s Kindergarten unfolds almost like a nature documentary, only we are following human children instead of animals.
Caissy’s film is set in a daycare centre in Quebec, and his approach involves just putting a camera in the classroom and watching things unfold. The adult caregivers are kept almost entirely offscreen, appearing as voices that occasionally step in to intervene and make sure everyone is getting along.
The subjects we see all range in age from one to five, and we are simply observing them as they discover the world and figure out how to socialize with each other. They fight over toys, kick each other, and eat messily with their hands. They put things in their mouths, and experience the chaos of building towers out of giant blocks and watching them fall down.
What we are really seeing is the different ages when social skills and a deeper understanding of the world around them begin to emerge, including as they develop more theory of mind for the feelings and needs of others. As such, Kindergarten works as a charming film to watch, but also a fascinating observational portrait of early childhood development.
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