Mr Bachmann and His Class

Winner of the Berlinale’s Silver Bear Jury Prize and inaugural Audience Award, this sprawling, tender documentary captures the inspiring relationship between an unorthodox German schoolteacher and
his culturally diverse class. Aged between 12 and 14, these students come from a variety of religious backgrounds and countries as far-reaching as Turkey, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan and Brazil. On the brink of retirement, with his woolly beanie, AC/DC t-shirt and guitar, Herr Bachmann is eager to inspire these citizens-in-the-making with a sense of curiosity for a wide range of crafts, subjects, cultures and opinions, instructing them more about life than per the school curriculum. Unfolding over an absorbing, Frederick Wiseman-esque three-and-a-half hours, this affectionate documentary just might restore your faith in humanity.