Mr. Bachmann and his class: documentary about a teacher’s relationship with his sixth-grade class.
Plot and background
In the small Hessian town of Stadtallendorf, Mr Bachmann teaches the sixth grade. His pupils are no older than 12 to 14 years old, come from twelve different countries and some do not yet speak German. The industrial town has a high proportion of residents of foreign origin.
The empathetic teacher will soon retire. Before that, he wants to awaken his students’ curiosity about different subjects, cultures, customs and life. His subjects include maths and German, but he combines the subject matter with daily music-making and personal conversations. It is more than just teaching according to plan.
Dieter Bachmann also challenges his students in their polite dealings with each other. In the search for identity and a sense of home in Germany, each individual should be given a sense of worth. Bullying is not to be an issue in his class; beforehand, intensive discussions take place with each other. Impulses also come from the children themselves, who want to talk about their fears, problems and wishes for their future lives.
“Mr. Bachmann and his class” – cinema release, background
The four-hour documentary by director Maria Speth (” 9 Lives”) celebrated its world premiere at the Berlinale 2021 as part of the Competition. There, the sensitive documentary was not only awarded the Jury Prize, but also won the Berlinale Audience Award for Best Competition Film in Summer 2021. The response among critics and audiences speaks for itself: “Speth’s documentary provides an intimate glimpse into a very special classroom,” reads the kino.de review.
After first screenings in summer 2021 at the Berlinale Summer Event, the theatrical release of “Herr Bachmann und seine Klasse” is dated 16 September 2021.
