Mr Bachmann and His Class is an intimate documentary portraying the bond between an elementary school teacher and his students. His unconventional methods clash with the complex social and cultural realities of the provincial German industrial town they live in. The film premiered in competition at the Berlinale 2021 where it was awarded the Silver Bear Jury Prize.
“The children in Bachmann‘s class mostly have an industrial working class background, independently of their Turkish, Russian, Bulgarian or German roots. One can rightly say that their lives are precarious, their opportunities for education and social advancement are limited. But just as Teacher Bachmann offers these young people a chance to develop skills, beauty, and dignity, I wanted to give them the same in my edit: to be stars for 217 minutes.” (M. Speth)
Sceneggiatura / Screenplay: Maria Speth, Reinhold Vorschneider
Fotografia / Photography: Reinhold Vorschneider
Montaggio / Editing: Maria Speth
Musica / Music: Oliver Göbel
Suono / Sound: Adrian Baumeister, Niklas Kammertöns
Interpreti / Cast: Dieter Bachmann, Aynur Bal, Önder Cavdar e gli studenti delle classi 6B e 6F / and the students of classes 6B and 6F
Produzione / Produced by: Madonnen Film
Distribuzione internazionale / World Sales: Films Boutique
Distribuzione per l’Italia / Distributed in Italy by: Wanted Cinema
Maria Speth
Born in Bavaria, Germany in 1967, writer, film director and producer Maria Speth has lived in Berlin since 1987. She worked as an assistant editor and director until 1995. In 1996, she took up a directing degree at the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf. Her graduate thesis film and debut feature The Days Between premiered at the Rotterdam IFF in 2001, where it won the VPRO Tiger Award, and was presented also in competition at the Trieste FF. In 2009 she founded the production company Madonnen Film.
Selected filmography
2001 In den Tag hinein (The Days Between); Premi / Awards: Rotterdam IFF – VPRO Tiger Award 2007 Madonnen (Madonnas) 2010 9 Leben (9 Lives) doc.; Premi / Awards: DOK Leipzig – Premio Fondazione DEFA / DEFA Foundation Award; 2014 Töchter (Daughters) 2021 Herr Bachmann und seine Klasse (Mr Bachmann e la sua classe / Mr Bachmann and His Class); Premi / Awards: Berlinale – Gran Premio della Giuria, Premio del Pubblico / Silver Bear Jury Prize, Competition Audience Award
