Berlin '36 (2009)

Director:

Kaspar Heidelbach

Writers:

Lothar Kurzawa (screenplay)
Eric Friedler (idea)

Release Date:

16 September 2011 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Nazi Germany 1936. Gretel Bergman is one of Hitler's best gold medal contenders. And she's Jewish.

Plot:

In the days leading up to the 1936 Olympics, the fate of high jumper Gretel Bergmann hangs in the balance as it is decided whether or not a Jewish athlete can be a part of the German Olympic team. |

Plot Keywords:

Olympics | Anti Semitism | City Name In Title | Nazism | Place Name In Title

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Karoline Herfurth	...	Gretel Bergmann
Sebastian Urzendowsky	...	Marie Ketteler
Axel Prahl	...	Hans Waldmann
Robert Gallinowski	...	Sigfrid Kulmbach
Thomas Thieme	...	Hans von Tschammer und Osten
Johann von Bülow	...	Karl Ritter von Halt
August Zirner	...	Edwin Bergmann
Maria Happel	...	Paula Bergmann
Franz Dinda	...	Rudolph Bergmann
Leon Seidel	...	Walter Bergmann
Marita Breuer	...	Eleonore Ketteler
Rosa van de Loo	...	Emma Ketteler
Otto Tausig	...	Leo Löwenstein
Elena Uhlig	...	Frau Vogel
John Keogh	...	Avery Brundage
Julie Engelbrecht	...	Elisabeth 'Lilly' Vogt
Klara Manzel	...	Thea Walden
Martin Wissner	...	Ernst Oberberg
Matthias Redlhammer	...	Stadionsprecher
Tomas Spencer	...	Nigel (as Tomas Sinclair Spencer)
Adrian Zwicker	...	SA-Mann
Angelika Bartsch	...	Ärztin im Gesundheitsamt
Harvey Friedman	...	Jackson
Katrin Hansmeier
Isabell Brenner
André Lehnert	...	Zehnkämpfer
Philip Schwarz	...	Zehnkämpfer
Gretel Bergmann	...	Herself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Clös	...	Kioskbesitzer (uncredited)
André Dietz	...	(uncredited)
Adolf Hitler	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Margaret Lambert	...	Herself (uncredited)
Armin Schmitt	...	Soldat (uncredited)
Oliver Unkel	...	Wehrmachtssoldat (uncredited)

Directed by
Kaspar Heidelbach

Writing credits
Lothar Kurzawa		(screenplay)
Eric Friedler		(idea)

Produced by
Doris J. Heinze	....	producer
Jörn Klamroth	....	producer
Klaus Rettig	....	line producer
Tim Rostock	....	executive producer
Gerhard Schmidt	....	producer

Original Music by
Arno Steffen

Cinematography by
Achim Poulheim

Film Editing by
Hedy Altschiller

Casting by
Anja Dihrberg

Production Design by
Götz Weidner

Costume Design by
Lucia Faust

Makeup Department
Horst Allert	....	makeup artist
Nicola Faas	....	extras fitting
Delia Mündelein	....	makeup artist
Nicole Rohner-Allert	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Wolfram Gumbert	....	unit manager
Beatrice Hallenbarter	....	production manager
Friedegard-Nelly Schunk	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lars Parlaska	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Peter Ackermann	....	assistant production designer
Alexander Dercks	....	prop driver
Alexander Dercks	....	set dresser
Janine Groth	....	assistant property master: indoor
Jo Heins	....	set dresser
Josef Jacob	....	construction coordinator
Florian Junghans	....	construction coordinator
Katrin Kolbe	....	assistant property master: outdoor
Maurice M. Mohn	....	assistant property master: indoor
Richard Mundt	....	prop driver
Arnold Müller	....	painter
Tanja Oppel	....	set dresser
Manjo Richter	....	set constructor
Sebastian Steinhauer-Dsenne	....	painter
Nobu Takayama	....	property master: indoor
Andreas Wenzel	....	property master: outdoor
Alexander Wunderlich	....	set dresser

Visual Effects by
Ronney Afortu	....	colorist
Michaela Braun	....	Team-Assistenz: ScanlineVFX
Matthias Brauner	....	main title designer & animator: ARRI
Christian Burggraf	....	Systemadministration: ScanlineVFX
Timm Dapper	....	lead Massive technical director: ScanlineVFX
Gabriel Dedic	....	2D supervisor: ScanlineVFX
Thomas Diesselhorst	....	titles
Andreas Frickinger	....	compositing artist: ScanlineVFX
Dirk Frischmuth	....	digital artist
Lena Gieseke	....	3D Artist: ScanlineVFX
Rene Grosser	....	3D Artist: ScanlineVFX
Thomas Hain	....	motion capture & Massive simulation: Circle & Lines
Carla Heinzel	....	Massive technical director: ScanlineVFX
Sebastian Hirsch	....	senior 3D artist: ScanlineVFX
Sebastian Hirsch	....	senior shading & texturing artist: ScanlineVFX
Finlay Hogg	....	compositing artist: ScanlineVFX
Alexander Hupperich	....	senior modelling artist
Oliver Kirchhoff	....	3D Artist: ScanlineVFX
Claudia Knorr	....	3D Artist: ScanlineVFX
Christian Kratzert	....	3D Artist: ScanlineVFX
Markus Kuhlo	....	3D Artist: ScanlineVFX
Dirk Mauche	....	modelling lead: ScanlineVFX
Michel Mielke	....	VFX Producer: ScanlineVFX
Jan-Hilmar Petersen	....	set supervisor: ScanlineVFX
Christian Pokorny	....	3D supervisor: ScanlineVFX
Thorsten Rolle	....	3D Artist: ScanlineVFX
Benjamin Ross	....	matte painter: ScanlineVFX
Michael Scheffler	....	Systemadministration: ScanlineVFX
Markus 'Maggi' Selchow	....	visual effects
Sepp Sonntag	....	3D Artist: ScanlineVFX
Sepp Sonntag	....	matte painter: ScanlineVFX
Alexander Stania	....	lead modeling td: Circle and Lines
Tim Stern	....	Compositing Lead: ScanlineVFX
Duc Minh Tran	....	3D Artist: ScanlineVFX
Hans Vollmer	....	motion capture & Massive simulation: Circle & Lines
Mortimer Warlimont	....	Compositing Lead: ScanlineVFX
José Manuel Weil	....	senior lighting & rendering artist: ScanlineVFX
Florian Werzinski	....	3D Artist: ScanlineVFX
Bjoern Wortmann	....	compositing artist: ScanlineVFX

Camera and Electrical Department
Moritz Anton	....	assistant camera
Hannes Casper	....	lighting technician
Marcel Flienert	....	assistant grip
Stefan Hase	....	grip
Thomas Korda	....	steadicam operator
Thomas Kost	....	still photographer
Mirco Lenke	....	lighting technician (as Mirko Lenke)
Michael Meusel	....	lighting technician
Patrick Peters	....	video operator
Torben Schmidt	....	assistant lighting technician
Christian Thümmler	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Conny Frei	....	wardrobe
Ursula Münstermann	....	assistant costume designer
Ramona Petersen	....	assistant costume designer
Meiken Reissig	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Andreas Lipke	....	assistant editor

Transportation Department
Markus Eberhardt	....	production driver
Uwe Helbich	....	transportation coordinator
Jörg Henning	....	production driver
Marc Lehmann	....	production driver
Gaby Meyers	....	facility/truck driver
Franzo Soli	....	prop driver

Other crew
Nina Bärmann	....	production trainee
Nic Diedrich	....	location scout
Silke Christina Engler	....	continuity
Britta Frantzen	....	production assistant
Heike Frielingdsdorf	....	production trainee
Margret Höher	....	production coordinator
Felix Hüsken	....	production trainee
Christian Kohlbach	....	traffic blocker
Katharina Lindenau	....	production trainee
Sergej Maier	....	assistant set manager
Stefan Möller	....	location scout
Skipper Norden	....	location manager
Skipper Norden	....	set manager
Benno Pastewka	....	location scout
Lilian Scharnhorst	....	production trainee
Angie Simaifar	....	location scout

Thanks
Stefan Arndt	....	thanks
Bruno Lambert	....	dedicatee
Margaret Lambert	....	dedicatee (as Margaret Bergmann-Lambert)

Production Companies

• Degeto Film (co-production)
• Gemini Film
• Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) (co-production)

Distributors

• Cathay-Keris Films (2010) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Corinth Films (2010) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• X Verleih AG (2009) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Lighthouse Pictures (2009) (Singapore) (all media)
• Mongrel Media (2011) (Canada) (DVD)
• Pan Vision Oy (2011) (Finland) (DVD)
• Peccadillo Pictures (2011) (UK) (all media)
• Soul media (2011) (Denmark) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Circles And Lines
• Optical Art (colour grading)
• Optical Art (film recording)
• Optical Art (film scanning)
• Optical Art (titles)
• Optical Art (visual effects)
• ScanlineVFX

Other Companies

• Location Consulting & Facilities  facility vehicles
• Mecon Media Concept  extras payroll

Also Known As:

Runtime:

Germany:100 min | Argentina:100 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Germany:o.Al. (f) | Singapore:NC-16 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-7

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Degeto Film

A well acted and produced film which reminds us of the role history plays in our lives

We live in an unfair world, and we know it. In fact, we are already so sanitised by this that nothing much surprises us anymore. Not people who pretend to be nice to you while harbouring thoughts of how to make use of you to their advantage. Not people who put up a front to appear professional while conniving on how to take charge of the situation. No, not even the glory of sportsmanship inspires us anymore. Which is why we are not particularly taken aback that something this unthinkable happened in history – that sportsmanship was manipulated by the state to serve certain political agenda. And mind you, this happened some 74 years ago.

Such is the darkness behind the glory of the Olympic spirit.

The year is 1936, and the great and mighty Americans are putting pressure on the Germans because of their refusal to allow Jews on their Olympic team. They will boycott the Olympic Games if the Nazis do not lift that ban, especially in the case of high jumper Gretel Bergmann. The Nazis eventually allowed the poor girl (who migrated to Britain and became a champion there) to come home, but sneakily sent a rival Marie Ketteler to upset the situation. A friendship between the two athletes and before anyone knows it, a tension that could upset a nation's glory is formed.

Karoline Herfurth plays the Jewish athlete Bergmann (you can tell when she doesn't shout "Hail Hitler" like the rest of the characters) with conviction, and the indomitable spirit shines from her commendable performance. Looking comfortable in both sports and civilian outfits, Herfurth exudes a certain class and charm that we have not seen on the big screen for a while. Meanwhile, Sebastian Urzendowsky plays her teammate Ketteler who is, well, no point trying to hide here – a man. He has the looks and built of a fine young man, but somehow the filmmakers managed to portray a "woman" who is torn between the truth and falsehood. Maybe it's "her" curly hair, maybe it's "her" somewhat sultry look, or maybe it's just "her" demeanour as a "lady", but we managed to continue watching all 107 minutes of the movie thinking that "she" is one of the girls.

What seems to be a predictable storyline turns out to be a multifaceted display of human emotions (thanks to the all rounded and competent performances of the cast), where the most basic human feelings of pride, honour, humility and respect are exhibited through the characters' objectives and motives. There is always a looming feeling of dread as the film proceeds, as you fear something ominous for our heroine who deserves so much more than being chucked aside due to political reasons.

But history has already inked its place in time, and what already took place cannot be reversed. Some may call it a lesson of survival, some may call it a reminder of what cultural and historical conflicts can bring about, while some others may call it a tale of human instincts. So when the 96 year old Gretel Bergmann appears at the end of the film for an interview on the rather unfortunate incident that happened 74 years ago, you may just forget the unfairness of the world dishes to us, and feel the real human emotions that are genuine and heartening.