Hilde (film)

Hilde is a 2009 German biographical film directed by Kai Wessel and starring Heike Makatsch, Dan Stevens and Monica Bleibtreu.^[2] It depicts the life of the German actress Hildegard Knef.

Hilde
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kai Wessel
Written by	Maria von Heland
Based on	Der geschenkte Gaul by Hildegard Knef
Produced by	Judy Tossell Jens Meurer
Starring	Heike Makatsch
Cinematography	Hagen Bogdanski
Edited by	Tina Freitag
Music by	Martin Todsharow
Production companies	Egoli Tossell Film[1] MMC Independent[1] Pictorion Pictures[1]
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures[1]
Release date	12 March 2009 (2009-03-12)
Running time	137 minutes
Country	Germany
Language	German

Plot

In 1966 Hildegard Knef returns to Germany. While she prepares for a concert she thinks back to the beginnings of her career. Flashbacks show how she became an actress and then started a second career as a singer.

Cast

• Heike Makatsch: Hildegard Knef
• Dan Stevens: David Cameron
• Monica Bleibtreu: Else Bongers
• Hanns Zischler: Erich Pommer
• Johanna Gastdorf: Frieda Knef
• Trystan Wyn Puetter: Kurt Hirsch
• Michael Gwisdek: grandfather
• Roger Cicero: Ricci Blum
• Anian Zollner: Ewald von Demandowsky
• Sylvester Groth: Boleslaw Barlog
• Fritz Roth: step-father
• Hary Prinz: Willi Forst
• Jeroen Willems: Anatole Litvak
• Stanley Townsend: David O. Selznick

Reception

Kirk Honeycutt's wrote "Hilde" was an "outstanding biopic about Hildegard Knef with a captivating performance" by Heike Makatsch but also felt the screenplay was "at times superficial".^[3] Variety's Derek Elley attested Heike Makatsch a "remarkably cohesive performance" which was true to each "physical mannerism" of Hildegard Knef. "Easy on the eyes but rarely going more than skin-deep" was his roundup.^[4]