überlin

Netflix may have had a rough start in Germany, with immediate charges of sexism not exactly endearing it to the country’s progressive thinkers, but there’s no denying the online streaming service’s impressive archive. Alongside original content like House of Cards and BoJack Horseman, there’s TV, documentaries and movies offered in a combination of English and German audio and Deutsch subtitles, including a few features about Berlin itself. So sign up, tune in, and check out our best of Berlin on Netflix Germany. In no particular order…

1) The Edukators 

Screened at a one-off überlin film night, “The Edukators” (German title, “Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei” – “the fat years are over”) is the perfect expression of Berlin’s revolutionary impulses. A young Daniel Brühl and his anti-capitalist cohorts spend their nights breaking into fat cats’ Zehlendorf homes, until events take them on an unexpected journey out of the city. By turns acid sharp, thought-provoking and romantic, this is a German thriller well worth watching.

Netflix link
Audio: German
Subtitles: German [CC]

2) Berlin Calling 

“It’s all gone Pete Tong”, done right. This vehicle for BPitch Control’s Paul Kalkbrenner follows the rise and fall of DJ Ickarus, through sets in (real) Berlin clubs, international dates, drug psychosis and, ultimately, the loony bin. Surprisingly authentic, and by turns funny and touching, “Berlin Calling” is a must-see for fans of the city’s electronic music scene.

Netflix link
Audio: German
Subtitles: German [CC]

3) Sonnenallee

You’ll hardly recognise the eponymous street in this careful reconstruction of life on 1970s Sonnenallee. This comedy highlights the absurd reality of growing up alongside the wall that divides the city, right next to a border crossing between East and West Berlin. An entertaining and human reimagining of East Berlin’s past, set to the soundtrack of banned Western pop music.

Netflix link
Audio: German
Subtitles: German [CC]

4) Herr Lehmann

We haven’t seen this yet, but it comes highly recommended. Set in the final weeks before the fall of the Berlin Wall, in the titular character’s beloved SO 36 neighbourhood, “Herr Lehmann” looks to be funny, irreverent and charming. Also, props for using Fad Gadget’s Berlin-recorded classic, “Collapsing New People”, on the trailer!

Netflix link
Audio: German
Subtitles: German [CC]

5) Fuck for Forest – trailer NSFW!

Token English language film alert! This arresting documentary tracks the efforts of the world’s first eco-porn organisation, which moved from Norway after its founders where tried for having sex in public, to (where else?) Berlin. A curious, and at times cringe-inducing, watch, “Fuck for Forest” captures the chaos of well-meaning activists’ questionable attempts to further their singular cause. Only in Berlin?

Netflix link
Audio: English
Subtitles: German

What about you? What Berlin-based movies would you like to see in Netflix Germany?