

Kuhle Wampe takes place in early-1930s Berlin. The film begins with a montage of newspaper headlines describing steadily-rising unemployment figures. This is followed by scenes of a young man looking for work in the city and the family discussing the unpaid back rent. The young man, brother of the protagonist Anni, removes his wristwatch and throws himself from a window out of despair. Shortly thereafter his family is evicted from their apartment. Now homeless, the family moves into a garden colony of sorts with the name “Kuhle Wampe.”

Hertha Thiele
Anni
Lead
Ernst Busch
Fritz
Max Sablotzki
Vater Bönicke
Lilli Schoenborn
Mutter Bönike
Martha Wolter
Gerda
Adolf Fischer
Kurt

Gerhard Bienert
Zeitungsleser

Erwin Geschonneck
Arbeitersportler
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Slatan Dudow's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
“Every frame feels alive. Kuhle Wampe or Who Owns the World? is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”