Rabbit Heart (1987): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1987, Rabbit Heart is an adventure and family film directed by Gunter Friedrich, running about 80 minutes. “The Coward” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. The thirteen year old Janni is depressed, because she's still a little behind in her physical development. This leads to bullying remarks from her classmates. One day, a film crew comes to her school to find a candidate for the role of a Prince in a movie. They choose Janni, who they think is a boy. She takes on the role. At school, she tells her classmates she plays a Princess. When the moment of truth approaches she must find the self-confidence to invite the class to the premiere.

Who’s in it. Rabbit Heart stars Bettina Hohensee as Janni, Juliane Korén as Jannis Mutter, Marylu Poolman as Lehrerin and Jaecki Schwarz as Kameramann, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 9.0/10, Rabbit Heart sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Rabbit Heart page.

If you liked it. Fans of Rabbit Heart tend to enjoy The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception, Interstellar and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.