A year after its international release, documentary gem “On the Way to School” is finally making its stateside debut. French director Pascal Plisson spent three incredibly fruitful years following the lives of four children and their inspiring struggle for education.

Plisson introduces us to Jackson, Zahira, Samuel and Carlito — four highly motivated children whose removed villages and challenging circumstances are a boundary between themselves and education.

A true fly on the wall, Plisson captures the atypical routines of these children with considerable ease. Whether they are hiding from a stampede of elephants, galloping through vast terrain or pushing a broken wheelchair through a creek, Plisson absorbs it all. The fear, frustration and unparalleled drive of these four children are on display. Their character is
presented to us solely through action, as the documentary itself avoids all guided commentary.

The true beauty of “On the Way to School,” however, exists beyond the footage. Not only do these children feel compelled to fight for their education — a heroic stance on its own — but they fail to see the “I” in their struggle. Fashioning their own shoes for the journey, Jackson and his sister run nearly 10 miles through the jungle every day. They don’t complain, they never turn back. They do so because they’re excited to exercise their right to education. While we pray for snow days and excuses to rid ourselves of all responsibility, these children will never be able to imagine such an existence. Education, an intrinsic element of Western lives, is a privilege for the film’s subjects.

Although the journey is important to the film’s message, it doesn’t steal the entire focus. The relationships these children have is just as pure and well-intentioned as their desire for education.

Carlito rides on horseback across rural Argentina with his younger sister. She sees in him as role model, asking every so often if he’ll let her steer the horse for a bit. “Don’t tell mom,” he said as he slipped her the reins, her face glowing with pure joy.

Samuel’s two brothers push him and his makeshift wheelchair for 2.5 miles across bumpy terrain, creeks and all other obstacles. While they bicker along the way, it is clear that they’d do anything for their older brother. They lovingly bid adieu as they arrive at their separate classrooms, secretly looking forward to the journey back home.

Zahira and her friends weather a 14-mile hike to school each Monday. When one of the girls injures her ankle, the others help her rub the joint and try to soothe her back to good health. They resort to hitchhiking for the rest of the journey, together every step and jolt of the way.

These simple lives aren’t really that simple after all. The way these children consider themselves and each other is far more complex than a walk through the jungle.

A version of this article appeared in the Wednesday, Feb. 4 print edition. Email Isabel Jones at [email protected]