You've been eagerly awaiting your chance to see the latest Hollywood blockbuster all week. You bought your ticket online in advance, showed up at the Kino on time, found your seat and sat through far too many previews...only to be confronted by a brutal reality at the first line of dialogue: This isn't the movie you've come to see.
Or rather, its not in the language you were expecting.
Germany has a long history of dubbing English films into German. It can be traced back to the reconstruction period after World War II when German cinema became one of many tools for promoting democratic values.
While having a wide selection of dubbed films is a huge plus for German-speaking cinephiles, it can make finding the right screening rather confusing for English speakers.
In fact, sitting down to watch a movie just to realise that you bought the wrong ticket as soon as the first character speaks is a sort of right of passage for non-German speaking foreigners who have recently come to the country.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
So for anyone trying to buy the right movie tickets the first time, here's a quick guide to finding a movie in the language you desire – and where to watch German-language films with English subtitles.
Deciphering those language codes
Most German theatres reveal which language (and which language subtitles) a film is being screened in on their showtimes schedule.
This comes in the form of a language code that typically appears in small letters somewhere beneath the name of the film.
These codes are abbreviations for the corresponding description of the language option. They may appear completely obscure at first glance, but once you've learned what they mean it all starts to make sense.
The common language codes are as follows:
OV
Short for "original version", a film with this code will be shown in its original language without any subtitles. So if it's an American movie, you'll see it in English, if it's a German movie, you'll see it in Deutsche, and if it's a Korean movie, well there you go.
Note that not all movies are originally in English, and if you're looking at seeing something less mainstream, like an art film or something that recently won an award at Cannes or the Berlinale, then you may want to double check which language is the original before buying tickets.
OmU
Short for Original mit Untertiteln (original with subtitles). Films with this code will be shown in the original version with German subtitles.
Note that the above warning about many films having an original language that is not English applies here.
OmeU
Short for Original mit englischen Untertiteln (original with English subtitles). Films marked with this code will be screened in the original version with English subtitles.
So, if you're seeking a German film with English subtitles, this is what you're looking for.
You may also occasionally see films with French subtitles (OmfrzU) or Arab subtitles (OmarabU) as well.
DF
Short for Deutsche Fassung (German version). The film you are about to see will be dubbed in German.
This can be a good option for anyone who wants to keep up with Hollywood's latest hits and practice German at the same time. But be warned that the voice you're used to a particular actor having will be replaced completely.
How to watch German movies with English subtitles?
If you want to see a German film in English im Kino then you'll want to seek out the latest OmeU options.
Many cinemas allow you to filter their screenings by language option when you search online. For example, on the Yorck Kinogruppe website, which represents 14 cinemas in Berlin, you can click on "version" under the sorting options and then select "OmeU" to filter for all of their screenings which play with English subtitles.
At time of writing "Amrun" by award-winning German director Fatih Akin is playing at various Yorck cinemas, as is the recent German tragicomedy "Danke für nichts" and the documentary "Das Ungesagte" which examines the personal involvement of everyday people who supported the Nazi regime.
A spokesperson for Yorck Kinogruppe told The Local that it's often impossible to know which German films will be available with English subtitles in advance.
"The films are only available in an English subtitled version if they have screened at an international festival, and even then, only if the film distributor has acquired the rights for that version in Germany," the Yorck spokesperson said, adding that searching for OmeU options on the website is the best way to see which films are available at any given time.
Alternatively if you're looking for German films with English subtitles to screen at home, the Goethe Institute's online library is a great resource to know. Register for free with the institute and you can access a selection of German films with English subtitles as well as eBooks and resources for learning German.
You may also find some German films on other online catalogues such as ARTE.tv, ZDF or Netflix. But English subtitles are often not an option on these sites.
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