dir. Jan Hřebejk / Czech Republic / 2016 / 102 minutes

Set in the early 1980s, during the Communist era in Czechoslovakia, The Teacher is a jet-black satirical drama about corruption and the abuse of power. Zuzana Maurery won Best Actress at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival for her performance as Mrs. Drazděchová, a school teacher and politician who bilks favors out of local parents by using their children, her pupils, as tools for manipulation. A strong script and confident direction elevate this historical allegory to a multifaceted and masterful examination of human pathology.

Presented in Slovak with English subtitles.