Synopsis
When allegations surface that new teacher Maria Drazdechova is using her status to leverage the students’ grades for parental favours, an emergency parents meeting is called. But her Communist ties loom large overhead, and as stomach-churning revelations emerge, the quandary remains - will they be brave enough to defy her, or will they remain silent? Sardonic wit and incisive storytelling characterize Jan Hřebejk’s adroit Communist-era drama, sharply digging into the wounds of the socialist system. With frequent collaborator Petr Jarchovský, he has crafted a milieu that jumps to life onscreen with rich dialogue, visual flair and characters bursting with emotion. Communism may be gone, but The Teacher remains a devastatingly blazing reminder of the ever-present dangers of human hubris.