Simplify your life. Watch this film.

If you are into history, the Soviet movie “A French Lesson”, directed by Yevgeni Tashkov, would be a great choice to learn more about Russian people and their lives in the past.

This story revolves around an 11-year-old boy whose childhood happens against the backdrop of the post-World War II period. Since the Soviet Union is in decline, there is nothing to eat except for potatoes and bread. The child suffers from anemia, and in order to survive, he decides to play for money, which his mother, the only breadwinner in the family, sends him to another city. He would obviously go on a downward spiral were it not for a teacher of French who intervened in this situation.

Learning French, I started watching this film in search of some motivation to continue my studies. Instead of it, however, I have found a lot of inspiration to live a simple life, work hard, and appreciate what I already have and have achieved. Additionally, the compelled minimalism displayed in the film has had a therapeutic effect on me. Having watched it, I subconsciously tuned into that mode too, which resulted in reducing the number of entertainments and an excessive amount of junk food.

I would definitely recommend this movie to those who are nowadays revisiting their values and want to simplify their lives. Also, it may well be motivational for the young generation to deal with various types of addiction and consumerism.