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The Forest for the Trees
The Forest for the Trees
7.9
/10
616 Ratings

THE FOREST FOR THE TREES

Der Wald vor lauter Bäumen

Directed by Maren Ade
Germany, 2003
Drama

Synopsis

Melanie leaves home to start her teaching career, armed with alternative methods and bright-eyed optimism. But after her first day of classes, during which she gives an ambitious speech, Melanie finds rejection from her colleagues, torture from her students, and loneliness in her personal life.

Synopsis

Melanie leaves home to start her teaching career, armed with alternative methods and bright-eyed optimism. But after her first day of classes, during which she gives an ambitious speech, Melanie finds rejection from her colleagues, torture from her students, and loneliness in her personal life.

Our take

Long before she scored an Oscar® nomination for Toni Erdmann, Maren Ade made her feature debut with this razor-sharp portrait of an idealistic teacher’s emotional unravelling. Ruthlessly unsentimental, The Forest for the Trees is an empathetic anatomisation of loneliness and social awkwardness.