THE MIRACLE OF BERN
aka DAS WUNDER VON BERN

Year: 2003
UK: Soda Pictures
Cast: Louis Klamroth, Peter Lohmeyer, Johanna Gastdorf, Mirko Lang, Birthe Wolter, Katharina Wackernagel, Lucas Gregorowicz, Peter Franke, Sascha Gopel, Knut Hartwig, Holger Dexne, Simon Verhoeven, Jo Stock, Martin Bretschneider
Director: Sonke Wortmann
Country: Germany
Language: German (English subtitles)
UK: 117 mins
UK Certificate: PG contains mild language and violence
UK Release Date: 16 July 2004

Synopsis

Summer 1954.

The Soviet Union is sending its prisoners home. Among them is the father of a quiet, football loving 11 year-old, Matthias, who lives with his mother, sister and brother in a West German mining town. The boy has long found a surrogate father in the football player Helmut Rahn, who has 'adopted' Matthias as his mascot. The return of the boy's father Richard casts a shadow over the once happy family: broken by his years in captivity.

Richard has trouble adapting to life in post-war Germany and alienates his family. For Richard, football is pointless, and so is the World Cup that's about to be held in Bern, Switzerland. Matthias, however, longs to be there with his idol who has been chosen to play on the German team. Through his passion and his fighting spirit, Matthias rekindles a love of life in his dad's heart. And so, as the final match of the World Cup begins, a little miracle of love and generosity leaps across the borders to help another miracle occur - the victory of Helmut Rahn and the German team, the miracle of Bern.