My Dear Miss Schildt, an Ode to Primary School 

DE 2012

Director’s statement
My Dear Miss Schildt is the story of a primary school teacher and her students on the verge of major upheavals – retirement for her and starting secondary school for the children. They are spending their last class trip before the summer holidays at a farm. Surrounded by nature, far away from school, the children talk about their impressions of the past four years they have spent together. They speak freely about their teacher, what they liked and didn’t like, and what they want to be when they grow up. At the same time, the teacher reflects on her 40 years of teaching and takes a journey through the history of German education, under Kaiser Wilhelm, under the National Socialists and in the GDR. The stories of the one mingle with those of the other. They are connected by the voice of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The philosopher (embodied by a stuffed bear) recounts educational views in Germany, England and some Scandinavian countries from his work ‘Emile or Education’.The children’s drawings, farm activities and the big break in the little school complement the nature shots. The music in the film was practised by the children in class.I worked on the film over a period of  six years, and with each new research project I realised more and more how important Rousseau’s previously banned work ‘Emile, or Education’ is. I wanted to make a cheerful film that makes you smile and reflects the carefree, playful side of childhood. Still innocent, pure drawings; music with mistakes; anecdotes; a school cone as a hand puppet, a philosopher dressed as a stuffed bear; an ABC for learning to read and write; simple questions to which everyone responds seriously. This film does not claim to provide answers to current educational problems. It is intended to suggest a little utopia and provide space for reflection and discussion.


Documentary86 min. (German with English subtitles)

Written & Directed by: Nathalie David
Voice Over: Wolfgang von Wangeheim as Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Original Score: Lucie David, Zeki Alatur, Chiara Linzenmeier, Erik Arpke, Paul Relling
Puppet Maker: Dorit Schulz
Cinematography: Nathalie David
Editing: Nathalie David, Madeleine Dewald
Sound: Madeleine Dewald, Johannes Doberenz
Sound Recording: Ultramar Labs Berlin, Milchkettenmusik 2.0 (Eimsbütteler Tonstudio Hamburg)
Colour Grading: Martin Heckmann
Production Manager: Madeleine Dewald
Producer: Nathalie David
Post Production: DOCK43
Translation & Subtitling: Andrew Bird
Historical Material: Photographs from the Hamburg School Museum
Quotations From: Emile, or on Education (1772) by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Featuring:
Dietlind Schildt, Luc van Dun (the baby), Carla Meyer (the child reading), Teddy (the bear), Friedrich Bohlen (Teacher of the historical lesson from the imperial era), Elke Urban (Voice of the teacher of the historical lesson from the GDR era),
Children of Class 4C, Primary School Rothestrasse, Hamburg:
Zeki Alatur, Erik Arpke, Gino Belbute, Lucie David, Liu Dam Nielsen, Janos Heitsch, Johan Janßen, Louisa Kunze, Johanna Lessau, Lukas Lewandowsky, Chiara Linzenmeier, Lea Max, Egzon Muslija, Sophia Pompe, Rebecca Ram, Paul Reiling, Karl-Friedrich Schmidt, Emil Strobel, Mert Toper, Patrick Winkler

Distributor: IM-Film

©Nathalie David – PITCHOUNPRODUCTION