TheAcademy Awardswarrant a significant amount of criticism for being out of touch. Between not havinga category recognizing stunt performersand the continued bias against “genre” films, the Oscars have continuously shown that they do not reflect the tastes of most of the moviegoers interested in the ceremony. That being said, the Oscars have done a much better job in recent years in recognizing films from international countries. 2023 was a historic year for international cinema, and the Oscars responded by nominatingThe Zone of InterestandAnatomy of a Fallfor Best Picture, as well as giving the Best Animated Feature trophy toHayao Miyazaki’s moving masterpieceThe Boy and the Heron. While it may not have contended in any categories outside the Best International Feature race,Germany’sThe Teachers’ Loungeis one of the best recent films about the perils of modern education.
The “inspirational teacher” narrative is certainly not one thatThe Teachers’ Loungeinvented, nor is it the first time that the Oscars have paid tribute to it.Edward James Olmosreceived a Best Actor nod for his role as a brilliant calculus teacher inStand and Deliver, and the greatRobin Williamsfinally won the Best Supporting Actor prize for his moving role inGood Will Hunting.YetThe Teachers’ Loungeis less about the inspirational qualities that those working in primary education have, and more about the incredible burdens that they are forced to carry when teaching students. It’s hard to classify it as “inspiration” by any stretch of the imagination becauseThe Teachers’ Loungeis an educational drama thatplays out like a psychological thriller.
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.
What Is ‘The Teachers’ Lounge’ About?
Set in modern-day Germany,The Teachers’ Loungefocuses on a homeroom teacher’s attempts to discover a thief within her 7th-grade class, only to find herself accused of takingpart in a conspiracy to blame the students. Carla Nowak, played in a breakthrough performance byLeonie Benesch, certainly has experience dealing with rowdy children, but retains much of the idealism that many of her co-workers do not. Upon realizing that someone has been lifting cash from the wallets in the teachers’ lounge area after class, Carla is pressured by her co-workers to begin questioning her students. Unfortunately for Carla, changing the status quo comes with a hefty consequence; the kids in her class are far more unified in their distaste for her than she would have ever realized, and can work together remarkably well if they set their sights on a singular enemy.
Carla’s crisis becomes more complex in the immediate aftermath.The Teachers' Loungeexplores the hardships of being ostracized by a community. Although she initially suspects her young student, Ali, of stealing the cash because he is handling a significant amount of money in his wallet, a meeting with his parents reveals that this was simply his allowance. Despite being accused of racially profiling Ali because of his Turkish heritage, Carla decides to investigate the thief herself by planting secret recording devices in the lounge. After a feud with a bitter school administrator, Carla faces a backlash from her students' parents, and the prospect of the police being involved is even suggested. What began as a straightforward mysterybecomes an anxiety-inducing thrillerin which Carla is forced to defend both her honor and her job.
The Teachers’ Loungeis able to create tension by showing how alone Carla truly is, as she lacks the support of both her class and the other educators. Carla is a new transfer teacher to the school who is expected to be adjusted to the cultural hallmarks that distinguish her new employer from other districts. This immediately makes Carla vulnerable, as the other teachers are less willing to support a newcomer who is not “one of their own.” Carla is also a very straightforward person who doesn’t enjoy playing mental mind games to obtain information. By the time she realizes the code of chivalry that the other teachers abide by helps them mask their feelings of dissatisfaction, she’s already found herself as one of the class’s primary enemies.
‘The Teachers’ Lounge’ Examines the Flaws in the Education System
The Teachers’ Loungeuses the controversy surrounding Carla as a microcosm of the larger issues within public education.Teachers are ultimately forced to be both figures of authority and leaders that the children can look up to. Any way that Carla chooses to move forward with the investigation ends up leading her to sacrifice one of those duties. Her students will never accept her if she exposes one of them for their crimes, but she won’t have sufficiently fulfilled the responsibilities of her job if she doesn’tsolve the mystery and identify the culprit.The emotional performance by Benesch, which was itself worthy of a Best Actress nomination, does a great job of showing how dispiriting the entire process is.
The Teachers’ Loungealso addresses the issues that teachers face when they have very little power.Carla faces criticism from both her students and their parents for decisions made by the higher-ranking figures in education, most of which have no experience in the classroom. It’s also difficult for her to be stern with some students when she knows that their parents come from wealth or status. The notion of “fake news” is also brought up, as a local newspaper runs false and misleading stories about the scandal that make it even harder for Carla to perform her duties without distraction. WhileThe Teachers’ Loungeis at its best when exploring Carla’s crisis of confidence, it also works remarkably wellas an indictment of capitalism and its effect on the equality of education.
German Cinema Is Experiencing a Renaissance
In addition to being a more compelling analysis of education than many American films,the recognition ofThe Teachers’ Loungeat the Academy Awards signifies that the ceremony is aware of the period of creative ingenuity occurring in the German film industry.The film was released only one year after the German-language remake ofAll Quiet On The Western Frontswept the Oscars’ technical prizes,receiving a Best Picture nomination and winning the Best International Feature prize. Other recent nominees include the moving World War II epicNever Look Awayand the uproarious Palme d’Or winnerToni Erdmann. Hopefully, the Oscars will continue to expand their focus so that more subversive films likeThe Teachers’ Loungeget the attention that they deserve.
