"Once a year, the SFFILM organization invites local public and private high schools to a matinee showing of a French film. This year's film was called "Polina," named after a young Russian ballerina who discovers her true calling as a ballet student by spending time in France and Belgium expressing herself through contemporary dance forms as opposed to the rigid classical ballet training back in her home country.

On Monday, November 13th, the French teachers at Upper Campus, Madame Daniel and Monsieur Tetzlaff, took twenty students (freshmen through seniors) to the Clay Theater in the Fillmore District in San Francisco where we were met by Mr. Keith Zwolfer, the Associate Director of the Educational branch of the SFFILM organization. There were several other schools in attendance and after the movie, its director, Madame Valérie Müller, talked about the film and its making and she answered questions from the students in French which is always a welcome way for our students to practice their French outside of the classroom. The overall mood after the film was upbeat since most students seemed to have liked the story, the acting, and the numerous dance parts. It is activities like this one that can make a foreign language come alive, and we are already looking forward to next fall when we will get another opportunity to watch a French film in San Francisco."

– Michael Tetzlaff, French Instructor

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Michael Tetzlaff was born in Germany but at the age of nine he moved to Paris, France following his father's transfer to the Naval Warfare Academy. After two years the family moved back to Germany and Mr. Tetzlaff enrolled in high school. After graduation, he served fifteen months in the military and then enrolled in college. Mr. Tetzlaff holds a M.A. in both French and Physical Education from the University of Osnabrück in Germany. In 1982 he started teaching in Germany; three years later he moved to Nice, France where he taught German for four years. In 1989 Mr. Tetzlaff came to Southern California as a summer camp life guard and swim coach; he quickly found teaching and coaching assignments in private schools in the Los Angeles area before moving to Northern California in 1995 to teach and coach at Pinewood School. He is married and has three children.

– Michael Tetzlaff, French Instructor (JH, HS) | mtetzlaff@pinewood.edu