This 2000 drama centers around a partially paralyzed* teenager who transfers to a boarding school. We follow him as he learns how to settle in his new surroundings.
Robert Stadlober is our main character, Benjamin. He’s been in a wide variety of shows and films, including Berlin, I love you; Jud Süß – Film ohne Gewissen; Krabat; and Sonnenallee.
A young Tom Schilling, whom we already know, plays Benjamin’s roommate Janosch.
This film has a lot of educational potential, including the popularity of boarding schools for special circumstances (especially as compared to the American ideas of boarding school). We see the cultural importance of Abitur, some geographical and scenic importance, and family struggles.
*Important notes: he is not paralyzed. He is is shown as having minimal mobility on the left side, but he can walk and use his right side without issue. Additionally, although this film was released in 2000, the quality of the picture is not up to par. This can be distracting for some of our students.
There is nudity in magazines and in our main character’s imagination while looking at one. This is only 8 minutes in. This is followed by a scene of masturbation, which is interrupted by the roommate. They talk about his disability as it relates to sex. 16 minutes in there if a brief view of a younger girl as he’s talking about how he always seems to be “in love” with one girl or another. 20 minutes in they are having a sex ed lesson, and talking about various other words for intercourse. During this conversation, they are practicing putting condoms on wooden phalluses. 31 minutes in several of the boys are masturbating to a picture of a naked woman. 37 minutes in the boys are in a strip club. 63 minutes in there is a naked woman on a poster in the background. During this time we hear the boys’ and girls’ thoughts about the upcoming party, much of which may be considered inappropriate. An hour and 16 minutes in, there is a sex scene.
Because of the focus on sex throughout the film but high educational value of many clips, I would recommend this film in clip form only.