The Teachers’ Lounge(2023)

Name: The Teachers’ Lounge
Director: Ilker Çatak
Genre: Drama
Released: Dec 25, 2023
Cast: Leonie Benesch, Anne-Kathrin Gummich, Rafael Stachowiak, Michael Klammer

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)

PG-13
Rated PG-13 for some strong language.
1h 38m
- Drama

Release Date: Dec 25, 2023

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.

Official Website

Release Details

Original Release | Dec 25, 2023 | Limited

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Box Office Results

2025-01-13T08:06:24.943Z

Results

Opening Weekend US & Canada:
$14,611
Total US & Canada:
$628,218
Total International
$5,079,224
Total Worldwide:
$5,707,442

Current Showtimes

orround

Tue Sep 22
Wed Sep 23
Thu Sep 24
Fri Sep 25
Sat Sep 26
Sun Sep 27
Mon Sep 28

Director & Top Cast

Ilker Çatak
Director

Leonie Benesch
Carla Nowak

Anne-Kathrin Gummich
Dr. Bettina Böhm

Rafael Stachowiak
Milosz Dudek

Michael Klammer
Thomas Liebenwerda

Technical Specifications

Aspect Ratio: 1.33 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: Germany

Language: German,Turkish,Polish,English

Summaries

Plot Summary

Students from the 7th-grade class of the idealistic teacher Carla Nowak (Leonie Benesch), 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. The teachers conduct a series of interviews with students to try and identify who could be the thief. Students are even encouraged to take names of other students who might be suspected of theft.Carla encourages them to stay silent if they wish, but the other teachers including Milosz Dudek (Rafael Stachowiak) & Thomas Liebenwerda (Michael Klammer) pursue the issue and later force the male students in Carla's class to turn in their wallets for inspection. The teachers defend their actions by saying that the theft has been going on for too long for them to ignore it any longer. The teachers even contemplate hiring a private detective to solve the mystery for them.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 informed the teachers that the money was Ali's allowance, and they accuse the teachers of racially profiling Ali. Later, she is told by the other teachers that Ali is failing his class. The teachers speculate that since Ali's father is a taxi driver, there is nobody at home who can help him study.Later, after witnessing a colleague stealing money from the lounge's piggy bank (people deposited coins in the piggy bank when they took coffee), Carla decides to investigate the theft herself. Using her laptop, she secretly records her jacket (which was hanging in the Teacher's Lounge) 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 (Eva Lobau), is wearing the same blouse as on the video. Kuhn is also the single mother of Oskar (Leonard Stettnisch), a bright but quiet student in Carla's class whom Carla admires. Carla was very fond of Oskar and had even gifted him a Rubik Cube. Oskar was a top performer in her class and was getting top grades on every test.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 Dr. Bettina Bohm (Anne-Kathrin Gummich), who is also unable to get Kuhn to admit to the theft. Bettina shows Kuhn the video from Carla's laptop, which clearly shows her blouse, but not her face. Kuhn argues that it is not any conclusive proof, but Bettina is adamant that no one else in the school was wearing the same blouse as Kuhn. Bettina wants Kuhn to give Carla her money back. Kuhn says that she has no money in her wallet.Kuhn becomes deeply upset during the interrogation and storms out after being put on leave. 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.The next day Bettina summons Oskar as Kuhn did not come to the school. Oskar says that she is crying at home and is very upset. Bettina informs Oskar that his mother will not working for the school till an investigation is carried out.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. Oskar meets Carla privately and tries to give her his savings of 63 Euros and 45 cents, in exchange for Carla dropping all charges against his mother. Oskar wants Carla to declare publicly that Kuhn is innocent.The other faculty members want to see the video, but Carla refuses. They threaten Carla with charges as they say that their privacy rights have been violated.The students rally on behalf of Oskar and refuse to do homework or participate in class. Oskar later attacks a student named Lukas 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.Carla, understanding that Oskar was trying to protect his mother, covers for him and is against pursuing disciplinary action, but the other teachers are wary of keeping Oskar in class due to his violent tendencies. Carla says that deflecting the problem to the students is not fair as Oskar was simply reacting the set of circumstances presented to him, and he is not the cause of it.Carla's students, who run the school newspaper, have scheduled an interview with her. After a regular and innocent set of questions, the students abruptly begin interrogating Carla about the secret recording, the thefts, accusations against Ali, and Kuhn's dismissal. Carla, caught off-guard, gives vague and broad responses and is refused the opportunity to review the interview ahead of the printing of the newspaper. When it is published, Carla is dismayed to find her statements twisted and taken out of context. The paper quickly spreads and angers the other teachers, who blame Carla for not being more cooperative and forthcoming. The principal decides to ban the distribution of the newspaper and suspends Oskar.Oskar returns to class regardless, and the principal threatens to have him removed, which could get him expelled. After failing to get Kuhn to collect her son, Carla has the class leave with another teacher and sits quietly with Oskar. He quickly solves the Rubik's cube that she had gifted him earlier. He is then carried out of school by police officers, calm and dignified.

Storyline

When her money kept in the teachers' lounge is stolen, Carla a teacher of the school decides to investigate. She faces objections from her colleagues but continues nevertheless little knowing that this would the beginning of serious problems for her. — Anonymous