Learn german with Four Minutes

Jenny is young. Her life is over. She killed someone. And she would do it again. When an 80-year-old piano teacher discovers the girl’s secret, her brutality and her dreams, she decides to transform her pupil into the musical wunderkind she once was.

Why learn german with Four Minutes?

"Four Minutes" tells the story of Traude Krüger, an elderly music teacher in a women's prison, and Jenny von Loeben, a young, talented but troubled inmate. Jenny's raw talent for piano playing catches Frau Krüger's attention, leading to an unlikely partnership as they prepare for a prestigious music competition. Through their intense interactions, you can learn vocabulary related to music (e.g., "Klavier," "Noten," "Konzert"), prison life (e.g., "Gefängnis," "Zelle," "Wärter"), and emotions (e.g., "Wut," "Angst," "Hoffnung"). The film also features dialogues about rules and discipline, useful for understanding formal German. The movie explores themes of redemption, second chances, and the transformative power of music. It portrays a complex relationship between the two main characters, filled with tension, frustration, and ultimately, understanding. The language used ranges from formal interactions with prison staff to informal conversations between Jenny and Frau Krüger, exposing you to different registers of German. The emotionally charged scenes offer valuable insight into how Germans express strong feelings, such as anger ("Wut"), sadness ("Trauer"), and joy ("Freude"). This variety of language and emotional expression provides a rich learning environment. Watching "Four Minutes" can significantly benefit your German language learning. The subtitles allow you to connect the spoken words with their written form. The diverse vocabulary used in the movie expands your lexicon. The clear pronunciation of the actors makes it easier to understand spoken German, even with challenging vocabulary related to musical terms or prison life. The film's emotional depth can make the learning process more engaging and memorable. Finally, the movie offers a glimpse into German culture and society, adding a valuable cultural context to your language studies.