To celebrate the 34th Tag der Deutschen Einheit (Day of German Unity), our GCSE German pupils took a cinematic approach to learning about contemporary German culture with a screening of Das Lehrerzimmer.
Aubrey (Year 10) shares his thoughts on the film:
'To mark the 34th der Tag der Deutschen Einheit, we watched the 2023 German film, das Lehrerzimmer. The intense film takes place in a German grammar school and focuses on strained relationships between teachers, teachers and pupils and teachers and parents following some thefts in school. The film also highlights surveillance as one the teachers uses her laptop to video the theft of her wallet by a colleague in the staff room, which leads to a tense situation in the Head’s office. I found it particularly funny when the student was being carried away from the school still on his chair, and quite strange when he punched the teacher and threw her laptop off a bridge. The film was quite interesting, but the plot was a little odd. Overall, it was a very funny film, and it was good to listen to German and pick up some new language. I enjoyed it and would give it 7/10.'
Watching Das Lehrerzimmer served as more than just entertainment – it was also a valuable language-learning opportunity. Listening to German dialogue in a natural setting helped pupils pick up new vocabulary and get a feel for the language's rhythm and nuances.
The screening was a great way to bring German culture to life for our GCSE pupils and added a unique dimension to this year's celebration of German Unity Day.
