The profession of teaching must follow codes of conduct and a set of instructions in order to protect both teachers and their students. Likewise, there are also rules that students are expected to abide by, and they do not always understand given their young developing minds. In The Teachers’ Lounge rules and confidentiality hit the fan drastically. This makes for a movie experience that is both mentally draining and captivating. The choice of a particular teacher spirals the audience into the examination and inquiries involved. In The Teachers’ Lounge the question remains, “Is this proof, or an assumption?” The answer unfolds in the realm of a hectic and low-paid profession and quickly moves in an audacious direction in The Teachers’ Lounge.

I was raised in a family of teachers and professors and The Teachers’ Lounge spoke to me truthfully. The level of tolerance and patience needed each day is the key to understanding the film’s depths in portraying a hard scenario in a school setting. Especially when the rights of teachers, rights of parents, and rights of students are involved. The film shows that being a teacher is a career where a cautious mind is essential to solving many problems…no matter how big or small.

The Teachers’ Lounge takes place in Hamburg, Germany. The main character is Carla Nowak (played by Leonie Benesch). Carla is a schoolteacher of young students and her school routine is a consistent part of her daily life. That is until there is a theft, as Carla reports an individual that she suspects has stolen from her. That individual is a faculty member, Friederike Kuhn (played by Eva Lobau). Going forward, when disciplinary actions are taken, the matter does not remain quiet. The other factor to this problem is that Friederike’s son Oskar (played by Leonard Stettnisch) is also Carla’s student. With Friederike facing serious charges, Carla’s career begins to spiral downhill. Oskar starts to act out badly in her class as rumors go around about what has happened, and Carla struggles to keep her confidentiality intact as a teacher. Oskar becomes stuck in the middle of this intense and confusing matter with his mother and as a student. The question becomes one of who is most at risk in this confusing and frustrating scenario.

The writing in the film dives deep into a portrait of how rules and school systems begin to be at risk when serious questions develop. The parents of other students become infuriated, and Carla’s students act out more. The picture is thorough in pointing out that scenarios are not as private as some may think…even for teachers. Despite how true Carla’s case might be, there are still consequences. With rebellious students, the ugly dynamic is hard to tolerate, and Carla has no choice but to put up with it to keep her integrity.

This is one of the most chilling, exhilarating and mammoth experiences I have had with an international feature. It is a film in which going by the rules is questioned, along with the pressure of grueling rumors that carry through the film and enhance its psychological tension. The Teachers’ Lounge is unforgettable and the direction is on par with its inner conflict of underlying issues. It eagerly puts together the moving parts of the dynamic for a resolution. What will come of all this turmoil of a theft scenario? Who will suffer? How does it impact the faculty and the students? Find out in The Teachers’ Lounge. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.