Ich bin ein Elefant, Madame (1969)
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Directors
Cast
Wolfgang Schneider, Heinz Baumann, Tankred Dorst, Peter Palitzsch, Maja Eigen, Gudrun Herms
A student at an authoritarian Bremen school rehearses an uprising that grows into a humorous campaign for democratic education.
The story
At a secondary school in Bremen, student Rull rehearses an uprising against the school’s authoritarian structures. His effort develops into a humorous protest movement demanding a democratic form of schooling. The film follows students in class as well as in their private lives, while exposing teachers who remain committed to an old-fashioned model of education. At the same time, the students try to persuade progressive teachers to join their cause. The article describes the story as a paraphrase of the student revolt of the 1960s.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film is based on Thomas Valentin’s 1963 novel *Die Unberatenen* and on an earlier television adaptation of the novel, made by Peter Zadek in 1966 under its original title. It paraphrases the student revolt of the 1960s. At a secondary school in Bremen, student Rull rehearses an uprising and tries to break through the school’s authoritarian structures. A humorous protest movement emerges, demanding a democratic form of schooling. The film shows the students both in class and in their private lives. It exposes the teachers who cling to the old-fashioned model of schooling. At the same time, the students try to win the progressive teachers over to their side.
Genres
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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