THE TEACHERS LOUNGE

Fresh out of college, Carla is a new hire at a German junior high. Soon beloved by her homeroom, she takes great pride in her job, though not in her Polish heritage, which she hides from her colleagues. The school has a problem: a thief is at work and causing suspicion among students and staff. After falling victim to the culprit’s handiwork — and with her Turkish pupil falsely accused of the crime — Carla is embroiled in a plot to entrap the real offender. With the help of her laptop, she manages to corner Friederike, who works as the school secretary and whose bright son Oskar is in Carla’s class. With the rumour mill roiling and the school newspaper weighing in, Carla is in the spotlight and neither Friederike nor Oskar, who starts spreading damaging rumours in retaliation for his mother’s dismissal, will go down without a fight.