Israeli Film THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER-Kind Hearted or Treacherous?

Dir/screenwriter Nadav Lapid (b. Israel 1975) received high honors for his previous film THE POLICEMAN.  His current film, THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER (in Hebrew/English sub-titles) is haunting and unforgetable.  It is both poetic and polarizing; constantly blurring the boundaries between art and obsession, beauty & cruelty.  Nira, a kindergarten teacher, wife and mother of 2 grown children becomes obsessed with Yoav, a young prodigy in her care.  Yoav's recites poetry of such potent beauty and poignancy it seems beyond his comprehension.  His recites his poems which he is not capable of writing down.  Both his nanny and Nira, herself an aspiring poet capture his poems on paper & appropriate them for self-serving purposes.  However, Nira's intent is nebulous and her focus on Yoav is confusing; crossing the boundaries between care & perversion. Ironically, Nira teaches her class a well-known Hanukah song with lyrics "In every age a hero or sage shall come to our aid."  Recognizing Yoav as a sage, Nira takes it upon herself to protect & encourage his creativity.  Determining what is art is subjective.  Differentiating between good & evil is not always black or white.  THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER is a skillful & disturbing film.  Its credibility is potent and signifigance multi-layered.  The young actor who plays Yoav is cherubic & charming, you can almost appreciate Nira's misguided actions.  This is a movie you cannot dismiss.  I grade it an A.