Favoriten

[A SCHOOL BELL RINGS SHARPLY]  

The Berlinale 74 logo and text “74’ Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin Encounters” appears on screen in front of a deep purple background beside children’s drawings of a cloud, star, and a building with cat ears.  

The teacher, Ilkay Idiskut, stands at the head of the classroom with her arms crossed. A young boy wearing a baseball cap that says “BRKLN” walks in.  

BOY IN BASEBALL CAP (in subtitled German): Sorry that I’m late.  

ILKAY IDISKUT: What happened?  

BOY IN BASEBALL CAP: I overslept.  

IDISKUT: OK.  

Idiskut reaches an arm out and removes the baseball cap from the boy’s head and hands it to him.  

[THE SONG “DANCE, DANCE, DANCE – HIP HOP” BY ZUMBA FITNESS STARTS]  

The text “Welcome to Vienna’s largest primary school in the Favoriten district” appears over the purple background beside children’s illustrations of a cloud, stars, and buildings with smiley faces on them.  

A girl hops down a flight of stairs.  

A school administrator stands in front of a group of school employees who are seated outside on a series of steps. Some are wearing face masks and most are holding a print-out.  

ADMINISTRATOR: Sad news. We currently don’t have a school social worker.  

Close-up of Idiskut in profile, speaking.  

IDISKUT: I don’t have any support.  

Close-up on a few of the school employees sitting on the steps.  

[MUSIC FADES]  

ADMINISTRATOR: We also won’t have the school psychologist for much longer.  

Cut to a different group of school employees on the steps. 

ADMINISTRATOR: She’s pregnant. Let’s see if there’s a replacement.  

Close-up on Idiskut in profile again, speaking at her desk.  

IDISKUT: Now I have to do double the work.  

[“DANCE, DANCE, DANCE – HIP HOP” STARTS AGAIN]  

Text “The teacher steps in where the school system fails” appears on screen over the deep purple background with the same illustrations of a cloud, star, and cat-shaped building around it.  

Idiskut dances in the classroom with students.  

Idiskut leans over a student to help with an assignment.  

Close-up on a crying child. Someone hands her a tissue which she uses to wipe away tears.  

IDISKUT: Did you apologize?  

Two young boys stand side by side, one wearing a Hogwarts sweatshirt and the other wearing an ellesee sweatshirt.  

BOY IN HOGWARTS SWEATER: I forgot.  

Idiskut stands in front of the class in front of three life-size sheets of paper with massive drawings of human bodies on them that have different body parts labeled. Each of the three illustrations if slightly different.  

Close-up on a girl wearing glasses who looks down and sticks her face beneath her shirt collar.  

Close-up on a boy covering his mouth with his hand as he laughs.  

Idiskut sits at a table across from a parent and child.  

IDISKUT: It’s important that she doesn’t lose her motivation.  

Text “To see the potential instead of challenges” appears over the deep purple background beside illustrations of a cloud, stars, and buildings with smiley faces on them.  

[MUSIC STOPS]  

[CHILDREN SPEAK LOUDLY]  

About eleven children sit at their desks in a classroom.  

IDISKUT: This is a community.  

Idiskut sits at the head of the classroom speaking and gesticulating.  

IDISKUT You can’t exclude someone all the time!  

Another angle of students sitting at their desks.  

Close-up on a seated girl wearing round, wire frame glasses.  

Close-up on a seated boy who glances down and then back up.  

IDISKUT: I don’t know this side of you.  

Close-up on the profile of a seated boy and another boy behind him.  

Close-up on a seated girl.  

Idiskut stands at the head of the classroom in front of a projected image of a crowd of people in front of the Brandenburg Gate.  

IDISKUT: Peace is the most important thing in the world.  

[MUSIC STARTS]  

Text “A vibrant, provocative and ultimately optimistic portrait” attributed to Variety over the deep purple background beside the same illustrations of a cloud, stars and buildings with smiley faces on them.  

Idiskut smiles and nods her head, holding a cell phone out.  

Two children dance outside.  

A wider view of the children show that there are five of them dancing outside in front of the steps, with a small audience of 18 students sitting on the steps and watching. Idiskut stands to the side holding a cell phone.  

Text “A moving glimpse into the potential of young minds” attributed to Cineuropa appears over the deep purple background.  

A student stands at the front of a classroom in front of a whiteboard, being recorded on a smartphone mounted on a stand.  

STUDENT INTERVIEWER: Love or money?  

Two boys stand in a room while another boy films them on a smartphone mounted on a tripod.  

STUDENT INTERVIEWER: What may boys do?  

Close-up on a girl in a denim jacket, also being interviewed.  

STUDENT INTERVIEWER: Would you like to marry?  

On the street beside a busy bus stop, one girl interviews two other girls who are holding pastries in small paper bags.  

STUDENT INTERVIEWER: Mother or God?  

[MUSIC STOPS]  

Idiskut stands in front of the classroom full of seated students in front of a projector screen showing a crowd in front of the Brandenburg Gate. She rests one hand on a globe which sits on a table.  

STUDENT 1: It is...  

Close-up on a boy as he answers the question.  

STUDENT 1: ...the Ukrainian flag.  

Close-up on another boy wearing a hooded sweatshirt, sitting in front of a wall decorated with a decal of three Minions, playing with a small object in his hands.  

STUDENT 2: It’s only about Ukraine and Russia. What’s going on in Syria?  

[MUSIC STARTS AGAIN]  

Text “A story that goes far beyond the school’s courtyard” appears over the deep purple background beside the illustrations of a cloud, star, and cat-shaped buildings.  

[MUSIC FADES]  

Idiskut stands at the head of the classroom and dances while a song plays.  

IDISKUT: I’m certain you’re all going to be something great.  

The camera cuts to different angles of the schoolchildren standing beside their desks and dancing.  

One boy unfolds a crayon drawing. One girl reads from an upright binder decorated with pink glitter and an illustration of two women.  

More school children hold up their artwork—a crayon drawing of a girl in a laboratory, a cutout artwork depicting the Earth.  

Idiskut dances in front of the classroom, singing along and clapping and exaggeratedly hangs her head down when the song ends.  

[SONG ENDS. SCHOOL BELL RINGS]  

Text “Favoriten a film by Ruth Beckermann” appears on the deep purple background above the logo for Creative Europa Media.  

[BELL RINGING FADES. SOUNDS OF CHILDREN TALKING AND LAUGHING]  

Children file into a classroom, each holding a bouquet of flowers.  

IDISKUT (in voiceover): A good teacher is hard to find, hard to leave, and impossible to forget.  

The camera pants to reveal more students with bouquets and gift bags lined up to give them to Idiskut.  

Text “In Cinemas” appears over the deep purple background beside illustrations of a cloud, stars, and the buildings with smiley faces on them.