In 1906, Belgium’s Albert I founded the Ibis School to educate orphaned boys from the country’s seafaring communities. More than a hundred years later, the school’s current crop of irresistible urchins in uniform testifies to these origins; in the words of the school anthem, they are “pious sons of fisherman of the honorable Flemish country.” The daily routine, as captured by Annabel Verbeke’s clear-eyed observational style, consists of queuing up, marching, saluting—all while avoiding punishment cards—activities meant to reflect the maritime values of honor, duty, and chivalry. The film’s unstated truth, however, is that no amount of discipline or Vigo-esque horseplay can restore a childhood to these lonely lads whose lives have been rived by divorce, abandonment, and other tribulations of modern life.  MP