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Pope Joan

Original title: Die Päpstin
  • 2009
  • 2h 29m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
8.9K
YOUR RATING
Pope Joan (2009)
Watch Trailer [OV]
Play trailer1:40
1 Video
15 Photos
DramaHistoryRomance

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.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.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.

  • Director
    • Sönke Wortmann
  • Writers
    • Donna Woolfolk Cross
    • Heinrich Hadding
    • Sönke Wortmann
  • Stars
    • Johanna Wokalek
    • David Wenham
    • John Goodman
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    8.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Sönke Wortmann
    • Writers
      • Donna Woolfolk Cross
      • Heinrich Hadding
      • Sönke Wortmann
    • Stars
      • Johanna Wokalek
      • David Wenham
      • John Goodman
    • 24User reviews
    • 45Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 6 wins & 6 nominations

    Videos1

    Trailer [OV]
    Trailer 1:40
    Watch Trailer [OV]

    Photos15

    David Wenham and Johanna Wokalek in Pope Joan (2009)
    John Goodman, Ian Gelder, Nicholas Woodeson, Branko Tomovic, and Richard van Weyden in Pope Joan (2009)
    Anatole Taubman, Branko Tomovic, and Richard van Weyden in Pope Joan (2009)
    Johanna Wokalek in Pope Joan (2009)
    John Goodman in Pope Joan (2009)
    Johanna Wokalek in Pope Joan (2009)
    Johanna Wokalek in Pope Joan (2009)
    John Goodman in Pope Joan (2009)
    Johanna Wokalek in Pope Joan (2009)
    John Goodman and Johanna Wokalek in Pope Joan (2009)
    Pope Joan (2009)
    Johanna Wokalek, Tigerlily Hutchinson, and Lotte Flack at an event for Pope Joan (2009)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Johanna Wokalek
    Johanna Wokalek
    • Johanna von Ingelheim
    David Wenham
    David Wenham
    • Gerold
    John Goodman
    John Goodman
    • Pope Sergius
    Iain Glen
    Iain Glen
    • Village Priest
    Edward Petherbridge
    Edward Petherbridge
    • Aesculapius
    Anatole Taubman
    Anatole Taubman
    • Anastasius
    Lotte Flack
    Lotte Flack
    • Johanna von Ingelheim - Age 10-14
    Tigerlily Hutchinson
    Tigerlily Hutchinson
    • Pope Joan - age 6-9
    Jördis Triebel
    Jördis Triebel
    • Joan's mother
    Oliver Cotton
    Oliver Cotton
    • Arsenius
    Nicholas Woodeson
    Nicholas Woodeson
    • Arighis
    Suzanne Bertish
    Suzanne Bertish
    • Bishop Arnaldo
    Richard van Weyden
    • Eusthasius
    Branko Tomovic
    Branko Tomovic
    • Paschal
    Lenn Kudrjawizki
    Lenn Kudrjawizki
    • Jordanes
    Ian Gelder
    Ian Gelder
    • Aio
    Alexander Held
    Alexander Held
    • King Lothar
    Sandro Lohmann
    • Matthew - age 12
    • Director
      • Sönke Wortmann
    • Writers
      • Donna Woolfolk Cross
      • Heinrich Hadding
      • Sönke Wortmann
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to Volker Schlöndorff's own statements, he left the director's chair after an argument with the production company Constantin, which wanted to shoot a cinematic feature film version as well as a TV miniseries version at the same time. Schlöndorff disagreed with the terms and left. Franka Potente then left also out of loyalty to the director.
    • 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.

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

    User reviews24

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Incredible portrayal of 9th-century life
    I'd vaguely heard of Pope Joan, but didn't know until looking her up this morning that she almost certainly didn't exist; I don't know if I would have watched the movie, knowing it was based on a novel I hadn't read. It was kind of slow-moving, and didn't have the lush costumes that are often my favorite part of historical movies, but it did have the most accurate portrayal I've ever seen of life in the middle ages. At the beginning of the movie I was surprised to see the title character's mother giving birth right in front of two other children, but then remembered that, just as people were conceived in full view of the household, they were born that way as well. As the movie went along, there was nothing missing but the smell! Several years of watching The Highlander didn't give me as graphic a view of what a beheading must actually look like as this movie did, and other details were just as they would have been. I'd recommend this movie most heartily to history majors and anyone who thinks the vanished past was glamorous.
    helpful•3
    3
    • Caryn-2
    • Jan 21, 2012

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    FAQ1

    • What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Extended TV Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 22, 2009 (Germany)
    • Countries of origin
      • Germany
      • United Kingdom
      • Italy
      • Spain
    • Languages
      • English
      • Latin
    • Also known as
      • Påven Johanna
    • Filming locations
      • Kloster Ilsenburg, Ilsenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany(location)
    • Production companies
      • Constantin Film
      • ARD Degeto Film
      • Dune Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €22,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $28,748,076
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 29 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
      • Dolby Digital

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