Madchen In Uniform (1931)

Set in a repressive all girls school in Germany, a motherless young girl (Hertha Thiele) develops a crush on one of her teachers (Dorothea Wieck) that will lead to a school scandal and a near tragedy. Based on the play GESTERN UND HEUTE by Christa Winsloe and directed by Leontine Sagan. A landmark film in gay friendly film making, the film is sympathetic to the young girl's emerging realization of her sexual orientation. The film was initially banned in the U.S. but Eleanor Roosevelt was a fan of the movie so it was released in a heavily edited version. Later declared a "decadent" film by the Nazis (no doubt because many of the cast and crew were Jewish) and they attempted to burn all existing copies of the film. It's not a great film but it touches on areas other than its lesbian angle, the unyielding rigidity of the Prussian education system and the bonding of young girls in an oppressive atmosphere. The similarity between the girls rebelling against an authoritarian system amidst the growing popularity of the Nazi party can't be overlooked. A sensitive piece of film making. With Emilia Unda, Ellen Schwanneke and Annemarie Von Rochhausen.