The Forest for the Trees

Plot

Melanie Pröschle is a 27 year old school teacher who moves to Karlsruhe to work at a new school. Melanie is optimistic about her new life but she is quickly demoralized by her difficulty making friends in the new city and by the unruly students she can't control.

After a student throws chocolate milk on her Melanie tries to discipline him by talking to his mother but after his mother dismisses the incident Melanie covers it up.

Melanie manages to befriend Tina, a salesgirl who sells her a jacket and who happens to live in the same tenement building as she does. After Tina visits Melanie in her apartment the two get drunk and, realizing that Tina's apartment is viewable from Melanie's apartment they end up spying on Tina's ex, Tobias, as he enters the apartment. Melanie continues to pursue Tina's friendship but things quickly become awkward as Melanie spies on Tina from her apartment and goes out of her way to chase down Tina.

At school things take a turn for the worse when Melanie overhears two colleagues discussing her and how she lets the children run wild. Upset Melanie calls her mother but rather than worry her ends up cancelling her planned trip home to stay in Karlsruhe over vacation. She spends her vacation alone, spying on Tina as she goes out with her other friends.

As the new term begins Melanie continues to have problems at school and with Tina. She is relieved when Tina invites her to her birthday party however she bumps into Tobias outside and introducing herself tells him it would be better if he didn't come inside. Tobias then gives her flowers to deliver to Tina. When Tina realizes that Melanie told Tobias not to come up she tells her to leave.

Melanie's attempts to reconnect with Tina fail and while spying on Tina from her window she spots Tobias and Tina peering back at her and appearing to make fun of her. Upset Melanie begins to miss work obligations, skipping parent-teacher night. The following day she leaves class in the middle of the day, gets in her car and begins to drive. As she drives she lets go of the wheel and climbs into the back seat where she calmly surveys the scenery.

Film development

The film was Ade's thesis film for film school. Ade based the movie on stories her parents, who both were teachers, had told her.

Awards

In 2005, The Forest for the Trees won the top award at three international film festivals: the Indie Lisboa Festival (in Portugal), the Newport Film Festival, and the Valencia Golden Jove Film Festival.