Directed by Maren Ade | 81 mins | 2003
Like her 2016 magnum opus "Toni Erdmann", Maren Ade’s devilish debut subjects its anti-heroine to a borderline sadistic ritual of ignominy. Melanie Pröschle (a fantastically game Eva Löbau), a 27-year-old schoolteacher moves to a new town, only to be assailed by mouthy, prankish pupils, contemptuous colleagues, and an increasingly distant neighbor. With little to distract from the claustrophobia of Melanie’s woes as she blunders her way through social minefields, Ade’s study of utter awkwardness is a feel-bad feat and a deadpan delight.