Asheville Cinema Society to screen Olympic-themed film

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Missing the Olympics already?  The Asheville Cinema Society can help fill that void when it screens Berlin 36 on Tuesday, Aug. 14.  The film begins at 7:15 PM at the Asheville Community Theatre on 35 East Walnut St.  Advance tickets are available online and remaining seats will be sold inside the Theatre lobby beginning at 6:45.

From the press release:

Berlin, 1936. The U.S. threatens to boycott the Olympic games because of Hitler’s racial policies. They insist that Nazi Germany allow Jews on their team, and specifically demand the participation of Jewish high jumper Gretel Bergmann (Karoline Herfurth), the world’s leading high jumper of her time. If Gretel does not participate in the training to qualify for the German Olympic team, then the United States and perhaps other countries will boycott the Olympics causing an international scandal.

The Nazis reluctantly allow her to compete in the qualifying training. However, to make sure she doesn’t qualify for the Games and win a Gold medal, they send in a rival, the unknown Marie Ketteler. The Nazis use every means possible to undermine Gretel’s qualifying. She is determined to succeed, but is pushed to the limit when she learns the Nazi’s secret mission for Marie.

BERLIN 36 is based on true events there were unknown to those outside of Germany until thirty years later. This is not a Holocaust film, and is one of the most interesting stories from the Nazi era.

The 100 minute film is in German with English subtitles.  It is not rated and contains brief nudity.