Revolution, Revolte, Krach: HELENE WEIGEL – Revolutionärin im Rampenlicht

Helene Weigel’s name is usually mentioned in the same breath as Bertolt Brecht’s. The actress and the playwright shared an unusual partnership, both as a couple and as an artistic team. In Maria Wischnewski’s new film, Helene Weigel steps out of Brecht's shadow to be portrayed as a smart and sensible woman, a fighter, who, throughout her life, engaged with questions that couldn’t be more relevant today. Interviews with contemporary witnesses, heirs and relatives are interwoven with fresh and exciting archive footage, as Birgit Minichmayr reads from Weigel’s texts and letters. Weigel’s ‘private’ side gradually emerges, making the film a journey of discovery about a woman who, despite her public prominence, has been often overlooked until today.

The Volksbühne is screening the film ahead of its national cinema release as its Berlin premiere with the film’s team and special guests in attendance.

With Katharina Thalbach, Sarah Brecht, Johanna Schall, Manfred Karge, Sabine Kebir, Vera Tenschert, Birgit Minichmayr, August Diehl and many others

Dokumentary / Germany, Austria 2026 / 102 minutes