2ND CLASS: The Role of Education in Fostering Tolerance

2ND CLASS, directed by Jimmy Olsson, is a Swedish short film centered on Charlotte (Hannah Davidson), a newly hired elementary school teacher who is quickly made the victim of a hate crime after inadvertently crossing paths with a Nazi. After enduring her horrific encounter, Charlotte gets the surprise of her life the next day when she learns that a quiet, young boy in her class named Anton (Milo Adermark) happens to be the son of the Nazi who attacked her the night prior.

2ND CLASS (2019) – source: [Aug & Ohr Agency]

What ensues is an emotional struggle wherein this teacher chooses to address the problem by doing what she is best at…educating this young boy. While the interaction between Charlotte and her new pupil starts as a tense exchange, over time it shifts into something tender as it becomes clear what she is attempting to do. Through the eyes of this child, we are painfully reminded that hate is not something we are born with, but rather something that is learned from our environment.

A Message of Tolerance That Never Feels Preachy

2ND CLASS is chiefly a story about education, both in the literal sense and in terms of the power that our surroundings can have in shaping our beliefs, regardless of whether they are lessons of hate or acceptance. The short film drives home this metaphor in its clever application of quite possibly the most unorthodox physics lesson ever. Through the use of the inflating and deflating of a balloon as a visual aid, Charlotte attempts to explain the power of seeing the truth in the world and its role in preserving love.

The story accomplishes a lot in its brief runtime as it touches on some thought-provoking questions that will linger in the mind afterward without coming off as preachy or one-sided in its portrayal. Ultimately, one is left with the question of whether this chance encounter with an impressionable child is a stroke of luck that will change the course of this boy’s development or is yet another tragic example of the influence one’s hateful upbringing can have on their future beliefs.

Based upon whether the viewer themselves chooses love or hate, they will come away from this short with a different interpretation of what the future holds for young Anton.

What did you think? Did the story’s take on the role of education in shaping values of tolerance resonate with you? Let us know in the comments below!

2ND CLASS will be released at several film festivals in the U.S. later this month. For all international release dates, see here.