The Rabbit Is Me (1965): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1965, The Rabbit Is Me is a drama and romance film directed by Kurt Maetzig, running about 110 minutes.

What it’s about. The Rabbit Is Me was made in 1965 to encourage discussion of the democratization of East German society. In it, a young student has an affair with a judge who once sentenced her brother for political reasons; she eventually confronts him with his opportunism and hypocrisy. It is a sardonic portrayal of the German Democratic Republic's judicial system and its social implications. The film was banned by officials as an anti-socialist, pessimistic and revisionist attack on the state. It henceforth lent its name to all the banned films of 1965, which became known as the "Rabbit Films." After its release in 1990, The Rabbit Is Me earned critical praise as one of the most important and courageous works ever made in East Germany. It was screened at The Museum of Modern Art in 2005 as part of the film series Rebels with a Cause: The Cinema of East Germany.

Who’s in it. The Rabbit Is Me stars Angelika Waller as Maria Morzeck, Alfred Müller as Paul Deister, Ilse Voigt as Tante Hete and Wolfgang Winkler as Dieter Morzeck, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.7/10, The Rabbit Is Me has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

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

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