The Teachers' Lounge

Modern German cinema haven't been on my radar as while there are a few good German flicks coming around time to time, I haven't been fully wowed by them for some time. I had no idea what to expect going into this movie but this movie was frustrating but in a good way.

It's an interesting character study that explores themes of racial profiling, unauthorized searches, and the school system. Throughout, the camerawork use of 4:3 lens felt purposeful to surround the settings and tone and the direction is pretty strong. The directing, setting, sound designs and pacing help to capture the uncomfortable and intense atmosphere that is being surrounded around the environment and within the characters and the movie does a really good work on capturing the essence.

The characters can be frustrating and unlikeable to an extent but instead of being unbearable, the portrayal of the unlikeable and frustrating characters felt purposeful because of the themes and writing concepts that were explored. Not often where movies are able to have many characters unlikeable, yet, managed to still be emotionally investing and engaging. All of the performances are amazing especially the lead performance from Leonie Benesch as Benesch is absolutely amazing. Even the child actors are great as well.

Many of the social dynamics were well-explored within the simple setting, the pacing is great, and there are some good dialogue moments that genuinely helps to build the intense situations and realism it portrays. There are a few issues I had with the movie which is that I felt certain dialogue moments from the child performances felt a little too fake or staged and there are certain choices I thought could have been approached differently.

Overall, a fascinating and frustrating movie.

It was never easy to be a good teacher, but it's even harder today with virtually everyone having a political agenda. A young teacher has a series of thefts in her class. She reports it to the administration, but they only make things worse. She discreetly tries to get to the bottom of it herself, only to make things still worse. Lots of fingers are pointed in a lot of different directions. Anyone who has ever been falsely accused will find this a very disturbing movie. It is so well acted that it seems like a documentary, rather than fiction. This film and AMERICAN FICTION both show what horrible little prigs today's young people have been turned into. They are basically good and want to do the right thing, but they know in their heart of hearts that they are morally superior. This movie made me glad that I am not a teacher today. This is a rivetingly suspenseful movie that is quite harrowing at times. It asks some disturbing questions and doesn't provide easy answers. This is easily one of the year's best films in a year of strong contenders. This is a German film in the German language, but it could just as easily take place anywhere in the Western world. This is a movie that thinking people can appreciate.

A great film about an important topic. The film hardly leaves any time to breathe, the atmosphere is so cramped. The 4:3 format is so close to the action that you can literally feel the captivity of the leading actress Leonie Benesch, who plays brilliantly. We follow a teacher in her first job as she tries to do the right thing but can no longer uphold her own moral standards. How she gets further and further into a whirlpool.

A psychogram of a teacher who is under pressure and there seems to be no way out. Teachers don't have it easy and the film impressively shows a reflection of this incredible profession through acting, film and music.

I am teacher. I saw this admirable film only from this perspective, admiring its high realism, recognizing ordinary, almost every day crisis, understanding the power , bigger and bigger , decade by decade, of students , their cruelty - not different by the characters of William Golding in The Lord of Flies.

I real loved the performance of Leonie Benesch. I appreciated the fair crafted tension. And the end , I believe, is pure great.

The story - chains of a clash. A terrible one because it is between values, truths, the victim being the honesty, noble intentions, the spirit of dedication and justice of a young teacher, devouted, maybe in too high measure, to her job.

The young actors are just fantastic.

At the end, the hope than the Oscar for Best International Feature Film goes to Das Lehrerzimmer.

Saw this at the 2023 filmfestival Ghant (Belgium). Very tense experience. Ample opportunity to feel along with all protagonists, even with those I disagree with. I for myself changed positions with each new development. It is my favorite category of film, where one continuously wonders: "What should I have done in that situation??" Many unexpected turns of events, all within the realm of normal possibilities yet still unexpected hence surprising each time, while the problems escalate beyond control.

Maybe the right-wing suggestions against teacher Carla (with a Polish name) and fellow student Ali (with immigrant parents), in particular coming from one particular direct-hitting student, are a bit over the top and unnecessary to make a complete story, but I assume the filmmakers included it on purpose, as those opinions are not uncommon and there is no reason to hide these. Like in the real world outside school, such and similar "arguments" confuse every discussion and only widens the gap between people.

There is a varied set of teachers who each have a significant role in what happens. They think differently about several issues, but not really out of the ordinary. Of course, the parents are much more different and have their own role too, not always a positive one but I assume that reflects reality. Ditto for the students.

All in all, while nothing novel or unexpected is presented, we get a broad overview over common opinions involving dealing with small theft, racism, immigration, adolescent behavior, and last-but-not-least interactions between students, parents and teachers. Nothing we see here is unrealistic. Sufficiently complex to keep us involved and interested.