Berlin Rebel High School (2016)
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Students who struggled in conventional schools pursue their Abitur at a democratic school without grades or a principal.
The story
Filmmaker Alexander Kleider follows students in a class at Berlin’s School for Adult Education as they work toward their Abitur. The documentary introduces the school’s unusual grassroots-democratic approach: founded in 1973, it has no principal and gives no grades. Students pay the teachers and staff themselves, and vote on all decisions every two weeks. Among the students are Alex, who has moved through more than ten schools without finding a fit, Lena, who felt constrained by school and her rural upbringing, and Hanil, who has not yet found a purpose in school. Teachers also describe their motivation to share knowledge without pressure.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In his documentary, filmmaker Alexander Kleider follows the students in a class at Berlin’s School for Adult Education (SFE) as they work toward their Abitur, while also introducing the school’s approach, which sets it apart from other schools. Founded in 1973 as a grassroots democratic project, the SFE has no principal and no grades. The students themselves pay the teachers and staff, and every two weeks they vote on all decisions. Among the students are Alex, Lena, and Hanil. Alex is in his early twenties and has already attended more than ten schools, but he never stayed long at any of them because he could not cope with the rules and the pressure of school. Lena, too, never really felt free at school or in the rural area where she grew up. Hanil, who is from Aachen, has so far seen no real point in school. Kleider also lets some of the teachers speak; they simply enjoy sharing knowledge and want to do so without any pressure.
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