Once in a Lifetime

“A visceral and engaging drama.” – Indiewire

Based on a true story, Once in a Lifetime is a heartwarming inner city classroom drama that offers new insight into the impact of Holocaust education on future generations.

Anne Gueguen is more than just a high school history teacher: she actually cares about the troubled, inner-city students whom she's supposed to educate. She is determined to give the best education she can to her tough and underprivileged pupils. And this year, it’s tougher than usual. Frustrated by their materialism and lack of ambition, Anne challenges them, despite their unlikelihood of winning, to take part in a national high school competition around the theme “Children and teenagers in Nazi concentration camps.”

Convinced she must push her students as far as they’ll go, Anne puts her own life on hold and uses all her creativity and willpower to grab their attention and get them motivated. As the deadline creeps closer, the kids start to open up to each other and believe in themselves. And while it may not resolve the challenges of their daily lives now, the collective projects outcome could be the one thing that changes the rest of their lives and helps them find their way.