The film “An Octopus Destroyed the Moon” begins with the image of an idyllic garden in the heart of Berlin. As the film progresses, we get to know some of the pupils at the August Sander School, an integrative pre-vocational school, who work in this very garden, an outdoor area of the school in Berlin-Friedrichshain. They garden here to achieve their school-leaving certificate. This voluntary work gives them the opportunity to graduate – despite their mental disabilities.
Thanks to the director’s shots, who worked alone with camera and microphone, we feel immediately transported into the everyday lives of the protagonists. The film follows them through different seasons, which brings us particularly close to the characters. The pupils could not be more different. For example, we learn that one boy has been diagnosed with an eighty percent disability. Everyone has individual interests, priorities and limitations, which leads to flexible attendance policies and grading criterias adapted to each person, which also brings challenges and conflicts for the teachers.
The teachers in class NU2 take us along to the so called development discussions with the pupils. Both strengths and weaknesses are discussed in these meetings. A recurring problem is tardiness and unexcused absences from class – an issue that remains unresolved until the end of the film despite the teachers’ best efforts. The class structure is also impressive: there are conspicuous individuals with controversial views and engaging personalities. In contrast, there are quiet, reserved characters who only have their say in a few scenes – yet they are easy to understand.
In the middle of the school year, we’re accompanying the students to their internships. It becomes clear how different the future can look if the starting conditions are not the same as for others. After completing their internships, the students present them to the class: they have designed posters and impressed us with their stories. This shows once again how individually tailored the assessment is to each individual.
Although the school at Ostkreuz in Berlin and the teachers and pupils there provide special insights, they reflect the everyday lives of many young people and seem like a reflection of social groups that are otherwise rarely reported on. The film dispenses with major twists and turns or key moments. Instead, we see the protagonists falling in love, breaking up, making friends and arguing. What is striking, however, is how often insults are thrown, which are calmly intercepted by the teachers – the pupils are unimpressed and don’t let anything get to them.
In the subsequent follow-up discussion, we had the opportunity to ask the director and camerawoman questions. However, her answers were disappointingly brief and lacking in commitment, which was a shame as we would have expected her to care deeply about the children and the school she has followed for so long.
Insgesamt hat uns der Film gefallen; wir konnten interessante Charaktere dabei beobachten, wie sie sich auf die Berufswelt und ein eigenständiges Leben vorbereiten. Dennoch ermüdet der Film mit der Zeit etwas, da es nur wenige Wendungen gibt. Trotzdem ist es wichtig, über den Kerninhalt des Films Bescheid zu wissen. Ob man sich dieses Wissen durch den Film oder auf anderem Weg aneignet, bleibt jedem selbst überlassen.
Overall, we enjoyed the movie; we were able to watch interesting characters prepare for the professional world and an independent life. However, the film gets a bit tiring after a while as there are few twists and turns. Nevertheless, it is important to know about the core content of the film. Whether you acquire this knowledge through the film or by other means is up to you.
Text: Judie & Wanda
Beitragsbild: © DOK Leipzig 2024/ Ein Oktopus hat den Mond zerstört, Heidrun Holzfeind