Berlin '36 (2009): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2009, Berlin '36 is a drama and history film directed by Kaspar Heidelbach, running about 100 minutes. “Nazi Germany 1936. Gretel Bergman is one of Hitler's best gold medal contenders. And she's Jewish.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. 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.

Who’s in it. Berlin '36 stars Karoline Herfurth as Gretel Bergmann, Sebastian Urzendowsky as Marie Ketteler, Axel Prahl as Hans Waldmann and Robert Gallinowski as Sigfrid Kulmbach, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.6/10, Berlin '36 has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In GB you can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Berlin '36 page.

If you liked it. Fans of Berlin '36 tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.