Leonie Benesch (‘The Teachers’ Lounge’) on ‘completely surreal’ success of Germany’s Oscar entry for Best International Feature [Exclusive Video Interview]

Denton Davidson
·3 min read
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“I’m the oldest of four, I know what it’s like to be around kids,” says Leonie Benesch, star of “The Teachers’ Lounge,” Germany’s entry for Best International Feature at the 96th Academy Awards. She admits she had concerns about being surrounded by child actors, stating, “I find a lot of the time that people who are an only child sort of romanticize what it’s like to be around kids, but I have no illusions. My friends all made fun of me when they heard that I was going to be playing a teacher and spending six weeks with kids every morning. Having said that, these kids were great. They are so amazing.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

“The Teachers’ Lounge” is directed by Ilker Çatak and follows educator Carla Nowak (Benesch) after a string of thefts happens in her school. Caught between her ideals and the school system, the consequences of her actions threaten to break her.

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As the film progresses, so does the intensity between characters. It was an evolution Benesch didn’t see coming. “I was not aware of the fact that we were making a thriller, and I don’t think that Ilker was either,” she admits. “The music and my stress…but also a big one for me is the editing. It’s edited in a way that enhances the pace. I’ve seen it a few times now and every time I’m quite shocked by just how stressful it is. Our filming process was lovely and relaxed and fun. It was quite the opposite of what we’re seeing on screen.”

Benesch calls the worldwide attention on the film “completely surreal,” adding, “Especially because the film was finished for nine months and nobody wanted to buy it. All the distributors said they didn’t see any international potential. It’s too small, it’s too much text, it’s too German. When we had our premiere in Ireland there was a buzz and we got sold out across the globe. It was a complete surprise!”

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