Brussels-based sales company Be For Films has boarded İlker Çatak’s The Teachers’ Lounge, which world premieres in the Panorama section at next month’s Berlinale.
The film stars Leonie Benesch as an idealistic young teacher who tries to get to the bottom of a series of thefts at the high school where she works. But she reaches breaking point as she finds herself mediating between outraged parents, opinionated colleagues and aggressive students. Benesch made her name in Michael Haneke’s award-winning drama The White Ribbon, and has since gone on to star in The Crown, Babylon Berlin and Around The World In 80 Days. She also stars in Berlinale Series title The Swarm.
The Teachers’ Lounge is the fourth feature by German director Çatak, and the second he has made with producer Ingo Fliess of Munich-based if… Productions. The pair first worked together on 2019’s I Was, I Am, I Will Be, which had its world premiere at the Munich Film Festival, where it received the New German Cinema Award for both the screenplay and Ogulcan Arman Uslu’s acting performance. It also earned five nominations at the 2020 German Film Awards.
The Teachers’ Lounge script is by Çatak and Johannes Duncker. Alamode is handling distribution in Germany.
Be For Films founder Pamela Leu said: “We are thrilled to welcome The Teachers’ Lounge to our 2023 line-up. We were fascinated by the last work of İlker Çatak and the portrayal of this teacher is such a performance by Leonie Benesch - she’s captivating. We are eager to bring the film to Panorama along with if… Productions Film GmbH and Alamode.”
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