The Teachers' Room: chaos in the heart of the school (review)

Nominated for an Oscar for best foreign film, a challenging thriller about school which provides relevant reflection on the difficulties of the teaching profession.

Author of several feature films that have never reached French cinemas, the name of İlker Çatak was until then unknown to us. And sitting down to watch a film with such a sober, almost conventional title, it's difficult to imagine anything other than a new drama about school, in the tradition of Heirs and a Serious Job, released last year. As expected, the film opens with a kaleidoscopic portrait of a school, in which teachers struggle to do the best they can with students who are often in difficulty.

At the center of the equation, Carla, a falsely idealistic young teacher, the perfect prototype of working girl who puts his work before everything, finds himself in turmoil by accusing a colleague from the administration of having stolen his money. And from there, The Teachers’ Room will surreptitiously switch to a psychological thriller by looking at the causes and effects of such an accusation, whether founded or not. Among the victims, the son of the accused, a student in Carla's class, rebels, and takes the story towards a questioning that is more current than ever: that of the alienating power that a student can exercise over a teacher, and of violence physics which always ends up ensuing.

Leonie Benech, a formidable actress who is reminiscent of Isabelle Huppert, delivers an exceptional performance, full of nuances, and perfectly crystallizes the pain and expectations linked to the teaching profession. A film more important than ever.

Of İlker Chatak. With Leonie Benesch, Michael Klammer, Rafael Stachowiak… Duration 1h39. Released March 6, 2024