Lest we forget
Berlin 36
Capturing culture-defining moments on film.
"She never came in the shower with us, so we thought she was a little weird, but I had absolutely no idea she was actually a man," said Gretel Bergmann, speaking to BBC World News last year.
Bergmann, now a New York resident known as Margaret Bergmann Lambert, was referring to her former team mate Dora Ratjen. As Hitler prepared to host the infamous 1936 Olympic Games, both Gretel and Dora became pawns in a disturbing Nazi scheme: firstly, to convince the International Olympics Committee that Jewish athletes such as Gretel would be free to represent Germany at the Games and secondly, to prevent such athletes from competing.
A champion high-jumper who had fled to Britain after being dismissed from her German team in 1933, Bergmann was coerced into returning to Germany for the Olympics. Just two months before the Games, Gretel broke the national record for high-jump. Then, a mere two weeks before the Opening Ceremony, she was dismissed from the Olympic team for "underperforming."
Dora was Gretel's replacement; a girl who was later revealed to be a boy. While some historical documents indicate that Dora's true gender was confused from birth and unknown to the authorities, others believe that the Nazi party deliberately planted the genetically male athlete, hoping to prove (by deception) the superiority of German over Jew.
Regardless, Gretel Bergmann was certainly a victim in this grim moment in history. Her scarcely-believable story is the inspiration for Berlin 36, screening next week as part of the 2010 Festival of Jewish Cinema, which runs at ACMI until Monday 29 November. Celebrating its 21st year, the Festival presents Jewish stories from across history and around the world, from witty satire to inspiring drama, coming of age tales to heist films.
Hit the road with cross-generational family comedy Simon Konianski, experience the thrill of love on the eve of war with Ultimatum, and laugh along with a Danish, goy-loving documentarian in Me and the Jewish Thing.
There are dozens of excellent films on offer so scroll through the program, grab a bagel and get your tuches to the movies.
For more information please see the Festival of Jewish Cinema page.
Published Thursday, 11 November 2010
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