Since the arrival of the new teacher, Maria Drazdechova, to a Bratislava suburban school in the year of 1983, life has turned upside down for students and parents. The convincement of the teacher’s corrupted behaviour and one of the students' suicide attempt that could be related to that matter, makes the school Principal call the students’ parents for an urgent meeting that will suddenly put the future of all the families at stake. They are asked to sign a petition to move Miss Drazdechova out of the school.

The teacher’s high connections within the Communist Party makes everyone feel threatened, but at his point they have no choice but to make a decision: will they dare to go against Miss Drazdechova and stand up for what they believe in at any risk, or will they just remain silent and let things be?

Direction: Jan Hřebejk

Script: Petr Jarchovský

Production: Zuzana Mistríková, Ľubica Orechovská, Ondřej Zima, Jan Prušinovský, Ondřej Zima

Cinematography: Martin Žiaran

Editing: Vladimír Barák

Production Design: Juraj Fábry

Costume Design: Katarína Štrbová Bieliková

Make-Up: Anitta Hroššová

Sound: Jiří Klenka

Original Score: Michal Novinski

Cast: Zuzana Mauréry

Original Title: UČITEĽKA

Original Languages: Czech, Slovak

Film Production Countries: Slovakia, Czechia

Website: http://www.pubres.sk/english-summary/2015/9/2/teacher

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/ucitelka.film

Statement of the Director/s
“All adults and most children have experienced the feeling where something that might benefit you now might also be the wrong thing to do. Or the other way around: that following your conscience or moral code may be difficult or very disadvantageous. That’s why this story is understandable to everyone,” says director Jan Hřebejk.

Biography of the Director/s
Born in Prague. Attended secondary school together with his film collaborator and screenwriter Petr Jarchovský; studied screenwriting and dramaturgy at Prague’s FAMU in 1987–1991.
Already during his studies, he caught the attention of the public as the director of short films Co všechno chcete vědět o sexu a bojíte se to prožít / Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex, But Were Afraid to Experience (1988) and L.P.1948 (1989), both selfproduced. These films won prizes at student festivals, as did his first feature film, Nedělejte nic, pokud k tomu nemáte vážný důvod / You Do Nothing Because You've Got No Good Reason, made for Czech TV. While still studying at FAMU, he co-wrote with Petr Jarchovský a film comedy set at a summer camp, Pějme píseň dohola / Let's All Sing Around (1990) which became the first film of director Ondřej Trojan.

His career as a respected and popular director was launched by the film musical Šakalí léta / Big Beat (1993), set in the 50s and adapted by Petr Jarchovský from a novel by Petr Šabach.

In 1996, he made the children’s TV show Kde padají hvězdy / Where Stars Fall which was shown in many European countries.
1999 was the year of the premiere of Hřebejk’s megahit Pelíšky / Cosy Dens, an enormously popular retrocomedy from the 60s about one historical generation. Hřebejk’s next film, Musíme si pomáhat / Divided We Fall (2000), the story of a couple hiding a Jewish refugee in their home during World War II, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

His next highly successful retrocomedy takes place in the eighties: Pupendo(2003). One year later, Hřebejk returned with the bittersweet Horem pádem / Up and Down, a modern-day story that was recognised by the Czech Academy of Film and TV as Film of the Year.

Jan Hřebejk is one of the most prolific and successful Czech filmmakers and the winner of numerous prizes at international festivals. Since Kráska v nesnázích / Beauty in Trouble (2006), which won the Jury Award at the International Film Festival Karlovy Vary, he has been making roughly one film per year (Medvídek / Teddy Bear, U mě dobrý / I'm All Good, Nestyda / Shameless, Kawasakiho růže / Kawasaki's Rose, Nevinnost / Innocence, Svatá čtveřice / 4Some, Odpad město smrt / Garbage, the City and Death, Líbánky / Honeymoon, Zakázané uvolnění / Icing). In between making feature films, Jan Hřebejk has directed several TV shows, documentaries, music videos, and commercials, as well as working in theatre.

His latest feature film, Učitelka / The Teacher will have its world premiere as part of the main competition of the 51st International Film Festival Karlovy Vary. In 2013, Hřebejk won the Best Director Award from Karlovy Vary for Líbánky.

Filmography of the Director/s
2016 The Teacher / Ucitelka
2013 Honeymoon / Líbánky
2012 Garbage, the City and Death / Odpad mesto smrt
2012 4Some / Svatá Ctverice
2011 Innocence / Nevinnost
2009 Kawasaki's Rose / Kawasakiho ruze
2008 Shameless / Nestyda
2008 I'm All Good / U me dobrý
2007 Teddy Bear / Medvídek
2006 Beauty in Trouble / Kráska v nesnázích
2004 Up and Down/ Horem pádem
2003 Pupendo
2000 Divided We Fall / Musíme si pomáhat
1999 Cosy Dens / Pelísky
1993 Big Beat / Šakalí léta

Awards Won
Divided We Fall - nomination for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Honeymoon - Best Director Award from Karlovy Vary
Kawasaki's Rose - Berlin International Film Festival, Panorama, C.I.C.A.E. Award; Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Czech Lions - Best Director: Big Beat (1994), Divided We Fall (2001), Up and Down (2005),
Sydney Film Festival - Divided We Fall, Prix UIP, 2001

World Sales:
LevelK
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E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +45 2010 8580
Website: https://www.levelk.dk/

Press:
PubRes
Ľubica Orechovská
Grösslingova 63
Bratislava, 81109, Slovakia
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +421 905 639 429
Website: http://www.pubres.sk/