Teacher’s lounge (2022)

Observational exploration of the teacher’s room inside a conventional high school.

The teacher's room is surrounded by the school's buildings and has always been a mysterious place for students. Hidden behind a door, teachers find time and space to gather and discuss situations afflicting them. Inspired by this mystery, this film intends to unsolve this mystery by breaking into this enigmatic room, observing what teachers do and listening to their conversations while students wait outside for the beginning of the next lesson. This observational documentary portrays the life inside the teacher’s room in a particular high school in Tallinn, Estonia. Along the film, several conversations and everyday situations between teachers are shown from an alien point of view, not only because of the distinctive situation presented but, as a result of the director being a foreign teacher and not understanding the language while asking himself: what are the teachers saying when there are no students around? As the film unfolds, the answer to this question will come to light through various conversations about various topics, from the mundane to the unconventional; including, of course, the hidden perks of being a teacher.

Keywords: education | secondary school | teachers | teachers' room | View all »