There is perhaps no Israeli sporting hero more deserving of a movie about his life than Ralph Klein. Born in pre-Nazi Germany, much of Klein’s family perished at Auschwitz, but he survived. After coming to Israel in 1951, Klein began an enormously successful basketball career with Maccabi Tel Aviv, which famously culminated in him coaching them to the European championship in 1977. Also the coach of the Israeli national team, Klein unleashed a bombshell when he announced that he was to return to Germany in 1983 to coach the West German national team.
An Eran Riklis production, Playoff focuses on the conflicts facing Klein as he returned to the country which murdered his family. Insisting that coaching in Germany is just a job, Klein played by Danny Huston cannot help emotion creep into his role as he refuses to speak German to his players. Distant from his team, Klein finds friendship and love with a Turkish immigrant woman and eventually finds success on the basketball court too. This Israeli film is a wonderful portrayal of the man voted the 67th greatest Israeli of all time. It is an emotional tale of a sporting legend facing incredible personal and professional dilemmas.
Director: Eran Riklis
Writers: Eran Riklis, David Akerman
Cast:
Danny Huston ... Max Stoller
Amira Casar ... Deniz
Mark Waschke ... Axel
Max Riemelt ... Thomas
Hanns Zischler ... Franz
Selen Savas ... Sema
Smadi Wolfman ... Ronit (as Smadar Wolfman)
Andreas Eufinger ... Ulrich
Mathias von Heydebrand ... Dieter
Irm Hermann ... Bertha
Yehuda Almagor ... Shimi
Volker Metzker ... Reporter Taxi
Verena Wüstkamp ... Reporter - VIP Room
Oliver Klös ... Cameraman
Steffen Müller ... Reporter VIP
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