Mr. Bachmann and His Class

Maria Speth's 2021 German documentary observes a secondary school class in the industrial town of Stadtallendorf. The teacher, Dieter Bachmann, is close to retirement; most of the children in his class come from immigrant families and some are still learning German. The method is waiting. The camera enters lessons, breaks and arguments; there is no commentary, no narrator and no music. Across a running time approaching three and a half hours the shift in how the children treat one another becomes visible. Bachmann's approach collides with what the institution expects. He chooses conversation over marks and making music over the syllabus; the film does not simply hold this up as a model but also shows its limits. Who it's for: those who like observational documentary and narratives about education. Who it's not for: viewers looking for something short and contained; the film is very long and reaches no thesis.