The Teacher's Lounge

This riveting storyline centers on new teacher Carla Novak (Benesch)teaching sixth grade as she tries to follow the curriculum with a class of very active students of mixed cultures. One student is Oskar (Stettnisch) a quiet extremely intelligent boy whom we learn from the outset is brilliant. The storyline quickly develops into an unusual whodunit scenario where one of the teachers report a theft and the procedures taken to find the culprit is questionable as the students are interrogated. Because her class is suspected Carla is the central figure in the Teachers’ Lounge as interaction with her colleagues becomes tense. The children actors are very convincing and deliver superb performances so much so that one becomes immersed in what seems like a major crime story. This movie has been garnering packed audiences at major film festivals and at the time of this writing is nominated as a contender in the category for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2024 Academy Awards.