Back to Berlin (2018) User Reviews

Personal and Important

[GilbertS-85 · 7/10 · 31 January 2021]

I like these kinds of documentaries that feel personal and important. In this movie, you get a look into the history of people's lives through the generations. Well done.

Well told, engaging documentary with unique insight.

[jimborussell · 8/10 · 28 January 2021]

A personal look into a tragic event - told by a group of bikers - compelling and unique. Well told, engaging documentary with unique insight. Recommend adding to your watch list.

Entertaining and Though Provoking

[abuckeye-93632 · 8/10 · 13 February 2021]

Back to Berlin is about group bikers that venture off on a road trip in 1936 to deliver the Olympic torch to Hitler. You will learn a lot about History and about yourself.

Elite Modern Day Historical Doc

[TheAll-SeeingI · 10/10 · 29 March 2019]

Highly contemplative and well-executed doc revolving around the 2015 Maccabiah Games, apparently referred to in more common vernacular as the "Jewish Olympics," and held where we commonly see footage of Jesse Owens' dominating in Berlin as Hitler sulked in hate-driven disgust.

This film is not relegated to mere celebration, however, as the Maccabiah Games, we learn, have arisen from a continued modern-day emergence of the same hate that gave us Hitler.

Extremely well-conceived - it's sombering and triumphant - this is a modern historical doc that can't be missed, as it spotlights the dark forces at work within the human condition, and provides a persevering means by which to defeat them.

So powerful!

[AvaCincotti · 10/10 · 6 February 2021]

Such a great reminder of an important part of history. I was incredibly moved. It's not just the story of these people who embark on a biking trip to remember their grandfathers or relatives, but it also reminds us of the danger of intolerance. Highly recommended.

Great documentary

[bartlettdirect · 9/10 · 7 February 2021]

This documentary is a legacy of human discovery. I hope it will be around for years to come, both as a warning to future generations and an empowerment to those who dare to speak out in defense of the vulnerable. Congrats to the filmmaker and her team. Awards and nominations wholly deserved.

Cathartic and Deeply Moving

[briandilorenzofilm · 9/10 · 13 February 2021]

I was incredibly moved by Catherine Lurie's "Back to Berlin". It offers a fascinating view of history, through the lens of personal accounts of the Holocaust, passed down from generation to generation; carrying on a sacred tradition through motorcycle riding. Unspeakable acts of evil perpetrated by not just the Nazis but also the fascists allied with them, that plays out during scenes along their travels, such as Bucharest, Romania. There's a conversation where Marco, one of the riders, says he's not sure if he wants to feel what they (his family) felt because the sadness is too powerful.

On their way through Hungary and Serbia, we see modern-day strife play out between refugees and police along the border, as the team passes by breathtaking scenic views. The 1935 bikers rode the same year as the Nuremberg Laws were put into effect, displaying a stunning amount of courage and bravery in a threat-filled landscape. Today's riders want to continue that legacy and they do so triumphantly. The first hand accounts from survivors were especially powerful.

One line in particular that really stuck with me was "When you hear one person tell their story, they tell it for all the other people who can't tell their story".

The end of the film, when the team finally reaches Berlin, the site of the 1936 Olympics, to light a torch in honor of their ancestors was deeply cathartic.

Stirring music and the velvety narration of Jason Issacs also helps carry this deeply powerful film. Essential viewing for all us to remember.

Powerful Doc

[NZfilmfinder · 9/10 · 7 February 2021]

Back to Berlin is a powerful emotional doc about Eleven Jewish motor bikers who retrace the journey of their family's who travelled via motorbike to the site of the infamous 1936 Berlin Olympics from Israel, for the first Jewish Olympic Games on German soil. We get to know each rider and their family histories through historical footage and footage from their current trip as they visit some of the places where many of the German atrocities were committed during WWII.

We are given context of how these families survived the Holocaust and the overwhelming loss of life that was suffered in this time and the heroic spirit of those who survived. It's a fascinating and sobering tale about how the past links to the present and how through this journey we can seek to better understand the tragedies of the past.

Great find!

[directortim2012 · 9/10 · 4 February 2021]

I happened across this documentary. So glad I decided to take a look at it! What an affecting journey. The bikers and their family stories of the Holocaust are personal and deeply involving. I was really moved by their shares and their journey. This is just an excellent doc. in every way!

Thought provoking doc about the holocaust!

[rew_jk · 9/10 · 7 February 2021]

I'm really into history so this was a fascinating watch. I thought I was fairly knowledgeable on this period of European history and the events leading up to WW2 but I was learning for the first time about the maccabiah games during the rise of fascism and it really helped you get a feel for the period and bring it to life. It was very interesting to hear all the accounts from survivors and their families and the comparison of 1930's Europe to rising anti semitism/peoples attitudes today was very profound. It's a lot of information to take in but clearly a huge amount of research has gone into producing this powerful and thought provoking doc - well worth a watch

A gem of a film!

[craigahrens · 9/10 · 6 February 2021]

This is such a wonderful documentary!! I was sucked in from the very first minute! What a powerful story!! I'm not a big documentary guy so going into this I was a bit doubtful. But boy I'm glad I checked this out! This little gem gets a big thumb's up from me!!

Heroic and poignant

[idarbo · 9/10 · 4 February 2021]

An incredible lesson in human courage and resilience. Back to Berlin sheds light on an historic episode unknow of many. A must see for all generations.

Moving

[akissonthenose · 9/10 · 5 February 2021]

Strong film, very touching. With everything that's been written about this subject, this film manages to find a new angle and to surprise you.

A moving film that comes full circle.

[ewerzowa · 9/10 · 4 February 2021]

This is a moving film that comes full circle giving some sort of closure to the past by retracing the steps of those Jewish Athletes in 1938. This is an important film retracing the steps to make sure history does not repeat itself. Beautiful made with the doorway into empathy and healing.

Powerful

[DonSwanson · 4 February 2021]

Admittedly, I knew nothing about this piece of history. Told with passion, this is documentary that will enlighten as much as it entertains. Well worth your time if you get the chance to watch it!

Impactful

[filmentity-20516 · 9/10 · 5 April 2021]

A very moving and powerful documentary that is both an emotional journey and a physical one. Has amazing personal accounts and archival footage that is really emotional. The statistics of people being sent to their deaths is staggering. The resistance accounts are heroic. It's an impactful movie and timely because of all the hate that has been cultivated for political in America and beyond. The riders are so easy to love and relate to. I cried with them.

powerful documentary

[lindapalmer · 8/10 · 3 February 2021]

Very well told, powerful documentary. Historical, provocative, emotional. I highly recommend it.

so moving

[mich1elle · 8/10 · 30 January 2021]

This is such a well done documentary, so thought provoking and informative. I really learned a lot from this. I was moved to tears several times. I highly recommend watching this.

Insipirational

[Movies_And_Frights · 9/10 · 7 June 2021]

For such heavy subject matter, this movie made me want to explore the world! Very well made and super intriguing as well as informative. Would highly recommend.

A story of Resilience and Remembrance

[kellykerrcook · 9/10 · 13 May 2021]

I couldn't tear myself away from the haunting tales of these brave bikers and survivors. We must never forget the human beings who lived through the atrocities of the Holocaust. This is a great documentary with excellent rare footage from the early 20th century.

Emotional and Very Unique Documentary about Holocaust Remembrance

[alexstephengoldberg · 9/10 · 5 June 2021]

There are a lot of movies about the Holocaust, but this one is truly unique and moving. 11 motorcyclists recreate a journey originally made in 1936 from Israel (then British-occupied Palestine) to Berlin for the Olympics. This modern journey shows how important it is to never forget the past. Actual Holocaust survivors tell their stories over original concentration camp and other Third Reich footage complete this compelling tale. This is a fantastic ride.

Beautiful Journey!

[NickRizzini · 9/10 · 5 May 2021]

What an amazing well told story. It felt intimate and educational. I really suggest to watch this Documentary. It made me want to go explore the world with a motorbike and discover history.

Thou Shall Not Kill

[EAreviews · 9/10 · 25 March 2021]

A touching reminder of the Holocaust atrocities as felt by descendants of survivors, and even some survivors themselves. The film captures the motorcycle journey beautifully and provides plenty of moments for reflection. A call for current and future generations to prevent such inconceivable tragedy from ever happening again.

Well done and interesting documentary.

[kel-70 · 10/10 · 3 July 2021]

This documentary was equally interesting and informative. The production quality and narration really kept it moving along as you followed the journey.

Back to Berlin should be required viewing

[adrianjettleon · 9/10 · 26 August 2021]

This documentary is powerful, heartbreaking and inspirational. It follows eleven bikers, who have personal ties to the Holocaust, on a journey retracing the path blazed by the Maccabiah riders during the early 1930's. Along the way, they visit heartrending mile markers throughout Europe. In Greece they sit in an actual Holocaust-era railway car during a hot day and later, in Poland, they tour the Auschwitz extermination camp. The personal recollections of the Holocaust told by some of the participants in the film are very painful, but necessary, to watch. The bikers themselves take the place of us documentary viewers at home by exploring, learning and asking questions of the survivors. I wholeheartedly recommend Back to Berlin; it is a fascinating, educational and emotional experience.