FilmSkool — a free film school
The Teachers' Lounge
When one of her students is suspected of theft, teacher Carla Nowak decides to get to the bottom of the matter. Caught between her ideals and the school system, the consequences of her actions threaten to break her.
2023 · Directed by İlker Çatak · 98 min · Drama · Screenplay in the scene database · 17 frames
Plot
Students from the 7th-grade class of the idealistic teacher Carla Nowak, a new transfer to the school, are pressured by other teachers to identify which of their classmates could be the most likely suspect for a series of thefts from the teachers' lounge. Carla encourages them to stay silent if they wish, but the other teachers pursue the issue and later force the male students in Carla's class to turn in their wallets for inspection. Upon discovering that a student of Turkish heritage, Ali, is carrying a lot of money, the teachers accuse him of theft; however, at a meeting with Ali's parents, the parents inform the teachers that the money was Ali's allowance, and they accuse the teachers of racially profiling Ali. Later, after witnessing a colleague steal money from the lounge's piggy bank, Carla decides to investigate the theft herself. Using her laptop, she secretly records her jacket and gets footage of an unknown person in a distinctive blouse taking money from her wallet.
Carla searches around the school and discovers an administrative colleague, Friederike Kuhn, is wearing the same blouse as on the video. Kuhn is also the single mother of Oskar, a bright but quiet student in Carla's class whom Carla admires. Carla privately attempts to get Kuhn to confess and return the money, but Kuhn is flustered and outraged at Carla's accusation and throws her out. Carla escalates to the principal, who is also unable to get Kuhn to admit to the theft. Kuhn becomes deeply upset during the interrogation and storms out after being put on leave, while Carla is discomfited by the principal's suggestion to get the police involved, preferring to keep the matter private. However, she is shocked when the principal notes that Carla will also have to be put under investigation, as her secret recording of the teachers' lounge violated the privacy of her colleagues.
At a parent–teacher meeting, the parents are displeased to hear of the teachers' interrogation of the students, particularly when their wallets were taken. As Carla struggles to take control of the situation, Kuhn crashes the meeting and informs the parents that Carla is being charged with making secret recordings and that she is not to be trusted. A shaken Carla flees to the bathroom, where she struggles to control a panic attack. The students begin to gossip as well, with Oskar insisting that his mother is not the thief, and becoming upset that his mother has been fired. The students rally on behalf of Oskar and refuse to do homework or participate in class. Oskar later attacks a student who failed to participate in this solidarity and then steals Carla's laptop, striking her with it and then escaping to the nearby river, where he disposes of the laptop.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: Johannes Duncker, İlker Çatak
- Cinematography: Judith Kaufmann
- Edited by: Gesa Jäger
- Music: Marvin Miller
- Production design: Zazie Knepper
- Produced by: Ingo Fliess
Cast
- Leonie Benesch as Carla Nowak
- Leonard Stettnisch as Oskar
- Eva Löbau as Friederike Kuhn
- Michael Klammer as Thomas Liebenwerda
- Rafael Stachowiak as Milosz Dudek
- Sarah Bauerett as Vanessa König
- Kathrin Wehlisch as Lore Semnik
- Anne-Kathrin Gummich as Dr. Bettina Böhm
- Katharina M. Schubert as Mrs. Haubrichs
- Uygar Tamer as Mrs. Yılmaz
Production
- Country: Germany
- Language: English, German, Polish, Turkish
- Studios: if... Productions, ZDF, ARTE
- Themes: teacher, frustrated
On this film
This is the plain index, shown because JavaScript is off. Every lesson here is a free video published by the channel credited on it and plays through that channel's own embed — FilmSkool hosts nothing.