Jean-François Caissy’s Kindergarten takes us into a daycare centre, following babies and toddlers as they go about their day, which, you’ll see in the documentary, is very full. Kindergarten helps us see the world through these little ones’ eyes, but as opposed to the ‘grandeur’ we would expect, Caissy zooms in on their inner world, focusing on their thoughts and interpersonal relationships.
Notably, the documentary is shot with the little ones as the main subjects so that adult faces are rarely visible. The young ones’ thoughts and actions lead this film, aided greatly by Caissy’s observational, ‘hands-off’ style (a by-product of his background in photography).
Kindergarten is an illuminating look into the microcosm that is a daycare. The young ones replicate ways of collaboration, communication and even conflict that we see play out on a larger scale. In this way, the documentary highlights the important work that goes on in daycares. The caregivers, though not seen, have the important work of guiding these behaviours so that they show up positively as these young ones continue to move on in society.
Kindergarten is a fun watch, especially if you love a bit of research as it feels a lot like an ethnographic study on these young members of the community. It is an innocent look at the world through the purest of us.
Kindergarten is playing at Hot Docs ’26. For more information, click here.
