Holland to Direct Marlene Dietrich's Battle with Home

Director Agnieszka Holland is set to helm "Berlinweh - Yearning for a Home," a feature film focusing on the life of iconic German-American actress Marlene Dietrich. The screenplay, written by Ingo Rasper, is being brought to life by a collaboration between X Filme Creative Pool, Marlene Film Production, and producer Mike Downey.

The film promises a deep dive into Dietrich's inner turmoil, exploring her simultaneous estrangement from and yearning for her homeland. "Berlinweh" will not follow a linear timeline but rather focus on four crucial days in four distinct decades: Paris in 1937, Bergen-Belsen in 1945, Tel Aviv in 1960, and Paris again in 1983.

Holland described Dietrich as a "tangle of contradictions"—a glamorous star, a talented actress, singer, and soldier, who was both self-centered and loyal, a human rights advocate filled with fear, and a German perceived by some as a traitor. The film aims to reflect universal themes and resonances in her fate that are particularly timely today.

This project reunites Holland with her collaborators from the 2025 film "Franz." Producers for "Berlinweh" include Uwe Schott and Josephine Blume for X Filme Creative Pool, Šárka Cimbalová for Marlene Film Production, and Mike Downey. Films Boutique will handle world sales for the production.