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The Country Teacher

2008 1h 55m Comedy Drama LGBTQ+ List
81% Tomatometer 27 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Petr (Pavel Liska), a gentle schoolteacher from Prague who has grown weary of the city, takes a teaching position in a small country village, keeping his homosexuality under wraps. Settling into a quiet rural life, Petr begins tutoring Lada (Ladislav Sedivý), the 17-year-old son of his divorced neighbor, Maria (Zuzana Bydzovská). While Maria is drawn to Petr, the teacher finds himself struggling against his growing attraction to her young son, a desire he knows he must suppress.
The Country Teacher

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Bohdan Slama's stunningly filmed dramedy is loaded with full-bodied characters and quietly sincere performances.

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Critics Reviews

View All (27) Critics Reviews
Keith Uhlich Time Out If great movies resulted purely from wizardly technical displays, then Czech writer-director Bohdan Sláma's The Country Teacher would be a masterpiece to give Béla Tarr pause. Rated: 2/6 Nov 17, 2011 Full Review Calvin Wilson St. Louis Post-Dispatch It's the kind of film that Hollywood used to excel at but no longer seems interested in making. Rated: 3.5/4 Aug 19, 2009 Full Review Michael Upchurch Seattle Times The film boasts subtle performances and curious situations with unpredictable outcomes. Rated: 3.5/4 Jul 23, 2009 Full Review David Lamble Bay Area Reporter A barnyard birthing scene becomes a life-changing event for three characters who, moments before, had no clue as to their fates... Jun 18, 2020 Full Review Martin Tsai Critic's Notebook The beauty of Mr. Slma's film is how it deftly unwraps a series of surprises for the audience, yet none of them seem like gratuitous twists. Oct 7, 2015 Full Review Kelly Vance East Bay Express Figuring out the true situation is what writer-director Bohdan Slma's beautifully nuanced character study is all about. Aug 26, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (48) audience reviews
Audience Member Wow, I was concerned that this foreign film would bore me, but boy, I was wrong. Great acting, writing, and deeply developed characters. The critics were right about this one. Very moving movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Exceptional film with fine performances from the leads. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member I didn't like it as much as I thought I would have. The characters were all very interesting and had their own personal stories to tell,all of them exceptional in their own way,but I didn't like some of the turns the plot took. I think somewhere in there hides a really great movie,the thing is it's lost in all the twists and turns in the plot. It was too long for its own good and it really bored me at times. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member The cinematography was exquisite and the characters were, for the most part, likable and relatable. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member I thought it was excellent. Very well acted and convincing. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member VENKOVSKY UCITEL (TE COUNTRY TEACHER) Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Country Teacher

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Cast & Crew

Patrik, Age 1.5 72% 73% Patrik, Age 1.5 Outrageous! 100% 84% Outrageous! The Far Side of the Moon 81% 87% The Far Side of the Moon Happy Endings 55% 63% Happy Endings The Kids Are All Right 93% 74% The Kids Are All Right Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Petr (Pavel Liska), a gentle schoolteacher from Prague who has grown weary of the city, takes a teaching position in a small country village, keeping his homosexuality under wraps. Settling into a quiet rural life, Petr begins tutoring Lada (Ladislav Sedivý), the 17-year-old son of his divorced neighbor, Maria (Zuzana Bydzovská). While Maria is drawn to Petr, the teacher finds himself struggling against his growing attraction to her young son, a desire he knows he must suppress.
Director
Bohdan Sláma
Producer
Pavel Strnad, Petr Oukropec, Karl Baumgartner, Thanassis Karathanos
Screenwriter
Bohdan Sláma
Production Co
Pallas Film
Genre
Comedy, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language
Czech
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 22, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$46.2K
Runtime
1h 55m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital