Pope Joan (2009) Die Päpstin (original title)

Popularity:

Down 18% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Sönke Wortmann

Writers:

Donna Woolfolk Cross (novel) and
Heinrich Hadding (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

22 October 2009 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A woman of English extraction born in the German city of Ingelheim in the ninth century disguises herself as a man and rises through the Vatican ranks.

Plot Keywords:

Monastery | Jealousy | Priest | 9th Century | Vatican

Awards:

4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Johanna Wokalek	...	Johanna von Ingelheim
David Wenham	...	Gerold
John Goodman	...	Pope Sergius
Iain Glen	...	Village Priest
Edward Petherbridge	...	Aesculapius
Anatole Taubman	...	Anastasius
Lotte Flack	...	Johanna von Ingelheim - Age 10-14
Tigerlily Hutchinson	...	Pope Joan - age 6-9
Jördis Triebel	...	Joan's mother
Oliver Cotton	...	Arsenius
Nicholas Woodeson	...	Arighis
Suzanne Bertish	...	Bishop Arnaldo
Richard van Weyden	...	Eusthasius
Branko Tomovic	...	Paschal
Lenn Kudrjawizki	...	Jordanes
Ian Gelder	...	Aio
Alexander Held	...	King Lothar
Sandro Lohmann	...	Matthew - age 12
Christian Redl	...	Abbot of Fulda
Claudia Michelsen	...	Richilde
Marc Bischoff	...	Odo
Tom Strauss	...	Benjamin
Alberto Cracco	...	Ennodius
Giorgio Lupano	...	Mamertus
Marian Meder	...	Arn
Oliver Nägele	...	Bishop Fulgentius
Katrin Pollitt
Raúl Semmler	...	Valentinus
Hendrik Arnst
Lukas T. Berglund	...	Matthew - age 6
Isabel Bongard	...	Gisele Age 15
Claudia Geisler-Bading		(as Claudia Geisler)
Christoph Glaubacker	...	Thedo
Colin Goodwin	...	Nobleman
Heinrich Hadding	...	Young Priest
Kristina Karst	...	Bona
Ellie Kemish	...	Gisele
Frank Kessler	...	King of the Normanns
Jan-Hendrik Kiefer	...	John - age 13 to 19
William Stütz	...	John at age 9 to 12
Georg Tryphon
Frank Witter	...	House Steward
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paulina Bachmann	...	Bishop's mistress
Amber Bongard	...	Gisla - Age 11
Mike Braun	...	Drunken Man
Rupert Degas	...	Anastasius (voice)
Jack Flack	...	Johannes - age 3
Thomas Glas	...	Blacksmith
Mechthild Großmann	...	Narrator (voice: German version)
Sven Hönig	...	Odilo
Sebastian Hülk	...	Envoy
Steffen Jurk	...	Blacksmith's Son
Heiko Kiesow	...	Norman #1
Gerard Krause	...	Raftsman
Robert Meller	...	Monk in Scriptorum
Wolfgang Packhäuser	...	Milk Merchant
Lutz Potthoff	...	Page at Villaris
Tabitha Christina Rieger	...	Johanna von Ingelheim - baby
Jolly Serra	...	Robber
Amara Wagner	...	Dhouda - Age 10
Maraile Wagner	...	Dhouda - Age 6
Barbara Wittman	...	Blacksmith's Wife
Mohamed Zerwal	...	Servant in Scriptorum

Directed by
Sönke Wortmann

Writing credits
Donna Woolfolk Cross		(novel)
Heinrich Hadding		screenplay
Jodi Ann Johnson
Sönke Wortmann		screenplay

Produced by
Faruk Alatan	....	co-producer
Oliver Berben	....	producer
Jana Brandt	....	associate producer
Barbara Buhl	....	associate producer
Doris J. Heinze	....	associate producer
Jörn Klamroth	....	associate producer
Martin Moszkowicz	....	producer
Edmon Roch	....	co-producer
Christine Rothe	....	line producer
Norbert Sauer	....	co-producer
Michael Schmidl	....	associate producer
Thomas Schreiber	....	associate producer
Silvia Tollmann	....	line producer
Herman Weigel	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Marcel Barsotti

Cinematography by
Tom Fährmann		(director of photography) (as Tom Fährmann BVK)

Film Editing by
Hans Funck

Casting by
Anja Dihrberg
Toby Whale

Production Design by
Bernd Lepel

Art Direction by
Hucky Hornberger		(segment)
Uwe Szielasko

Set Decoration by
Johannes Wild

Costume Design by
Esther Walz

Makeup Department
Mariam Lee Abounouom	....	makeup artist
Nezha Aouis	....	makeup artist
Karadag Canel	....	makeup artist
Yvonne Franz	....	makeup artist
Sebastian Lochmann	....	special makeup effects sculptor
Michele Orlia	....	makeup artist
Andrea Pirchner	....	assistant makeup artist: hair
Valeska Schitthelm	....	hair stylist
Valeska Schitthelm	....	makeup artist
Hasso von Hugo	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Ahmed Abounouom	....	production manager: Morocco
Isabell Brandenburg	....	unit manager: Germany
Miki Emmrich	....	production manager: second unit, Italy
Jens Enderling	....	unit manager: Morocco
Christine Rothe	....	executive in charge of production
Silvia Tollmann	....	production manager
Gernot Valendzik	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hamid Ait Timaghrit	....	second assistant director: morocco
Tatjana Bartel	....	second assistant director
Victor Bojinov	....	first assistant director: Bulgaria
Mouhssine El Badaoui	....	first assistant director: Morocco
Heinrich Hadding	....	second unit director
Lisa Hauss	....	first assistant director: second unit
Frank Kusche	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Mchachti Ahmed	....	props trainee
Tarik Amchemar	....	props
Stefan Burischek	....	set dresser
Marin Diimitrov	....	prop buyer: prep: Bulgaria
Enzo Enzel	....	head painter
Christina Heidelmeier	....	props
Christina Heidelmeier	....	set designer
Sven Jung	....	set dresser
Joachim Keppler	....	stand-by props
El Maadi Khaoula	....	props trainee
Tino Knoche	....	prop hand
Danny Krisp	....	set dresser
Antje Krug	....	set construction: Germany
Georg Kuhn	....	property master
Vesselin Lessev	....	draftsman
Vesselin Lessev	....	drawings and paintings
Oubelka Mamoun	....	store man
Samiri Menouar	....	art director: Morocco
Aziz Rafiq	....	art director: Morocco
Aziz Rafiq	....	assistant art director
Mobsitte Saad	....	props trainee
Barbara Sandberg	....	concept artist
Nebojsa Tabacki	....	concept artist
Aziz Hamichi	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Claudio Magrini	....	construction manager (uncredited)
Igor Toshevski	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Arnold	....	adr recordist
Jan Bloemeke	....	sound effects editor
Peter Brückelmayer	....	boom operator
Stefan Busch	....	supervising sound editor
Roberto Cappannelli	....	sound re-recording mixer
Naomi Dandridge	....	adr recordist
Tom Deane	....	adr mixer
Romain Drouillon	....	dubbing mixer
Lisa Geffcken-Reinhard	....	sound editor
Manni Gläser	....	sound post production manager
Lee Herrick	....	adr supervisor
Michael Kranz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jörn Poetzl	....	foley artist
Benjamin A. Rosenkind	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andreas Schneider	....	foley artist
Philipp Sellier	....	foley recordist
Bernhard Vogl	....	adr
Roland Winke	....	sound mixer
Nourdine Zaoui	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Christoph Gartlacher	....	special effects technician
Rolf Hanke	....	special effects project manager
Wolfgang Higler	....	special effects senior technician
Sebastian Lochmann	....	sculptor
Gerd Nefzer	....	special effects supervisor (as Gerd Feuchter)
Claudius Rauch	....	special effects technician
Jonas Schamal	....	special effects technician
Jens Schmiedel	....	special effects set supervisor

Visual Effects by
Andreas Alesik	....	visual effects artist
Tom Fährmann	....	digital grading creative director
Marcel Knüdeler	....	digital artist
David Laubsch	....	digital compositor
Mathis Lex	....	digital compositor
Katja Müller	....	visual effects producer
Marco Ringler	....	digital compositor
Christoph Schmidt	....	digital artist (as Christoph Otto Schmidt)
Abraham Schneider	....	lead compositing artist: ARRI
Stefan Tischner	....	digital compositor
Dominik Trimborn	....	visual effects supervisor: ARRI
Christian Wieser	....	senior compositing artist: ARRI
Tobias Wiesner	....	digital compositor: ARRI Digital Film
Alisa Wimmer	....	digital compositor
Patrick Zentis	....	matte painting supervisor: Visual Accord Effects

Stunts
Marco Albrecht	....	stunt player
Hami Belal	....	stunts
Tarik Belmekki	....	stunts : stunts
Volkhart Buff	....	stunt coordinator
Benoît Fabre	....	stunt performer
Joshua Grothe	....	stunt performer
Othman Ilyassa	....	stunts
Alessija Lause	....	stunt performer
René Lay	....	stunts
Philippe Losson	....	stunts
Alexander Mack	....	stunt performer
Mike Möller	....	stunts
Christian Petersson	....	stunts
Vanessa Wieduwilt	....	horse master
Vanessa Wieduwilt	....	stunt double: Johanna Wokalek

Camera and Electrical Department
Jan Brun	....	second unit
Markus Eckert	....	Steadicam operator
Markus Eckert	....	camera: second unit
Christian Graf	....	first assistant: "c" camera
Michael Hauptfleisch	....	first assistant camera: steadicam
Mohammed Amine Hlal	....	lighting technician trainee
Thomas Hübener	....	scorpio head technician
Metehan Karakus	....	electrician
Karl Keil	....	clapper loader: first unit
Oliver Kellmann	....	crane tech
Glenn König	....	key grip
Erwin Lanzensberger	....	Steadicam operator
Bohamdi Lyamani	....	electrician
Driss Marzak	....	gaffer
Felix Rauch	....	scorpio crane technician
Kamaleddine Talmi	....	grip
Heiko Wentorp	....	assistant camera

Casting Department
Salah Benchegra	....	casting
Jacqueline Rietz	....	casting: children

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Erika Benedek	....	aging assistant
Julia Beyer	....	dresser: historic
Daniela Ortenzia Chelaru	....	costume coordinator: Romania
Nicole Ebben	....	costumer
Idriss El Gholb	....	set costumer
Marie Heitzinger	....	textile breakdown artist
Sonja Hesse	....	wardrobe
Marco Idini	....	dyer
Abdelfattah Qzaibar	....	assistant costume
Julia Raschke	....	wardrobe
Ilka Stoye	....	assistant costume designer
Steffen Surek	....	wardrobe
Hassan Taghriti	....	costume supervisor: Morocco
Anette Tirler	....	assistant costume designer
Csongor Ujfalvi	....	aging assistant

Editorial Department
Markus Baburske	....	on-line editor: video mastering
Luna Debole	....	second assistant editor
Andschana Eschenbach	....	first assistant editor
Traudl Nicholson	....	lead colorist
Yvonne Tran	....	colorist (dailies)

Music Department
Marcel Barsotti	....	music editor
Marcel Barsotti	....	musician
Marcel Barsotti	....	orchestrator
Ferran Cruixent	....	musician: pianist
Ferran Cruixent	....	orchestrator
Sandro Friedrich	....	musician: ethnic flute
Peter Fuchs	....	score mixer
Pia Hoffmann	....	music supervisor
Dennis Kopacz	....	pro tools operator
Frank Strobel	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Jan Bludau	....	production driver
Abbes Ghazouani	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Hans-Peter Abts	....	set manager (as Hans Abts)
Franziska An der Gassen	....	assistant production executive (as Franziska-Marie Reinhardt)
Grit Belitz	....	production coordinator (as Grit Simbeck)
Michael Belitz	....	production assistant
Susan Bliss	....	Post production scripts
Tatjana Bonnet	....	assistant production executive (as Tatjana Jakovleski)
Benedikt Bothe	....	assistant set manager
Kristov Brändli	....	production accountant
Donna Woolfolk Cross	....	creative consultant
Omar Driouche	....	location assistant (as Omar Darouiche)
Nick Hertwig	....	location scout
Svet Hrouchoff	....	manager: base camp
Ernestine Kahn	....	dialogue coach
Nazha Kajja	....	production secretary
Yasmina Majid	....	coordination
Frank Meter	....	location scout
El Hassan Ait Moudoud	....	location manager assistant
Abdessalam Ngadi	....	cashier
Judith Niemeyer	....	publicist
Eva Obieglo	....	production assistant: Morocco
Ibtisame Semmar	....	production accountant
Dorothee Specht	....	production coordinator
Birgit Theis	....	child care
Sören von der Heyde	....	location scout

Production Companies

• Constantin Film
• ARD Degeto Film (co-production) (as NDR/MDR/SWR/WDR/Degeto)
• Dune Films
• Ikiru Films (co-production)
• MSM Studios (music and sound post-production)
• Medusa Film (co-production)
• UFA International Film & TV Production GmbH (co-production) (as UFA Filmproduktion)
• Universum Film (UFA) (co-production) (uncredited)

Distributors

• Constantin Film (2009) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Constantin-Filmverleih (2009) (Austria) (theatrical)
• E1 Entertainment Benelux (2010) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• E1 Entertainment Benelux (2010) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• E1 Entertainment Benelux (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Medusa Distribuzione (2009) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2009) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Seville Pictures (2010) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2010) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Summit Entertainment (2010) (USA) (theatrical)
• Bazuca Films (2009) (Chile) (all media)
• CatchPlay (2010) (Taiwan) (all media)
• Contender Entertainment Group (2009) (UK) (all media)
• E1 Entertainment Benelux (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• E1 Entertainment Benelux (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Eagle Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (DVD)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Highlight Film (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Nordisk Film (2009) (Denmark) (all media)
• Nordisk Film (2009) (Finland) (all media)
• Nordisk Film (2009) (Norway) (all media)
• Nordisk Film (2008) (Sweden) (all media)
• Odeon (2009) (Greece) (all media)
• West Video (2010) (Russia) (all media)
• Zon Lusomundo Audiovisuais (2010) (Portugal) (all media)

Special Effects

• Die Nefzers (as Die Nefzers GBMH)

Other Companies

• Agentur Irene Heyroth & Jacqueline Rietz GbR  children's casting
• Barrandov Studios  costumes supplied by
• Biblical Studio Morocco  filming studio
• Buff Connection  stunts
• Casting-Agentur Schubert  children's casting
• CinePostproduction  sound post-production
• Deutsche Filmförderfonds (DFFF)  supported by (as Deutscher FilmFörderFonds)
• Dune Films  production services: Morocco
• Film & Television Facilities  facility vehicles
• FilmFernsehFonds Bayern  supported by
• Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA)  supported by (as FilmFörderungsanstalt)
• Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen  funding
• Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen  supported by (as Filmstiftung NRW)
• Mecon Media Concept  extras payroll
• Mittekind  children's casting
• Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM)  funding
• Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM)  supported by (as Mitteldeutsche MedienFörderung)
• Three Brothers Production  arms and armours
• Three Brothers Production  costumes and wardrobe
• Tirelli Costumi  costumes by
• Visual Icon  exclusive clip and still licensing (uncredited)

Also Known As:

"Die Päpstin" - Germany (original title)
"The Mystery of a Pope" - Europe (English title) (imdb display title)

Runtime:

Germany:149 min

Country:

Germany | UK | Italy | Spain

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA15+ (2011) | Brazil:16 (Netflix self-rating) | Germany:12 (f) | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Atlas Corporation Studios, Ouarzazate, Morocco

Company:

Constantin Film

Trivia:

Volker Schlöndorff was originally set to direct this movie but left over unspecified differences with the production company.

Quotes:

Johanna von Ingelheim:As for strength of will, women can be viewed as superior to man. Eve ate from the apple out of love of knowledge and learning. Adam ate it only because Eve asked him to.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "De wereld draait door: Episode #5.139" (2010)

A flawed masterpiece

I realise many criticise this movie for being 'based on fiction' but hey. It's a move and very good entertainment at that. I loved all the actors EXCEPT John Goodman who was cringeworthy as Pope Sergius. In particular, Johanna Wokalek is a revelation, I love her simplicity and pure spirt, at least that's how her "Joan" came across to me. The mediæval setting is well done, though lacks the glorious costumes of high budget productions. There is criticism that the crowd scenes are a little uncrowded, I didn't notice this at all. David Wenham's a gorgeous actor with an amazing voice I love his rendition of the almost gormless Gerold, so ruggedly handsome. I also like the all to short role Iain Glen was given as the Village Priest, what wonderful acting. Much praise also to the very sweet Tigerlilly Hutchinson (Tigerlilly??), she plays the young Joan with aplomb. Not the best historical drama I've seen but an excellent one, only thing missing was the fragrance of mediæval europe.