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Cast
Karoline Herfurth
as Gretel Bergmann
Sebastian Urzendowsky
as Marie Ketteler
Axel Prahl
as Hans Waldmann
Robert Gallinowski
as Sigfrid Kulmbach
Thomas Thieme
as Hans von Tschammer und Osten
Johann von Bülow
as Karl Ritter von Halt
August Zirner
as Edwin Bergmann
Maria Happel
as Paula Bergmann
Franz Dinda
as Rudolph Bergmann
Leon Seidel
as Walter Bergmann
Movie Info & Details
Release Year2009
Runtime1h 40m
LanguageGerman
CertificationNR
GenresDrama, History
Votes40
DirectorKaspar Heidelbach
WritersLothar Kurzawa, Eric Friedler
TypeFeature Film
Rating5.4 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsBerlin '36
About Berlin '36
Berlin 36 is a 2009 German film telling the fate of Jewish athlete Gretel Bergmann in the 1936 Summer Olympics. She was replaced by the Nazi regime by an athlete later discovered to be a man. The film is based on a true story and was released in Germany on September 10, 2009. Reporters at Der Spiegel challenged the historical basis for many of the events in the film, pointing to arrest records and medical examinations indicating German authorities did not learn Dora Ratjen was male until 1938.
Directed by Kaspar Heidelbach, Berlin '36 leans on a strong ensemble — Karoline Herfurth, Sebastian Urzendowsky, Axel Prahl — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2009.
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