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ADAMS EIGHT: When Underdogs Became Olympic Champions
A team that hardly anyone believes in. A coach who is revolutionizing rowing with new ideas. And a goal that seems bigger than anything this team has ever dared to attempt.
On September 17, 2026, *ADAMS ACHT* will bring one of the most significant stories in German rowing to the big screen. The film tells the story of how Karl Adam, in the 1950s in Ratzeburg, assembled a team from a diverse group of athletes that caused a sensation at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome: The German eight won gold—as underdogs and after a dramatic final sprint.
But *ADAMS ACHT* is much more than just a success story. The film is about trust, discipline, and teamwork. It’s about people who must learn to overcome their differences and rely on one another. And it’s about a coach whose unconventional methods would go on to transform the sport of rowing forever.
Rowing closer than ever before
For the shoot, the film production team returned to one of the places where this story actually began: the Küchensee in Ratzeburg. Filming lasted six weeks, and the team spent twelve full days on the water. The Olympic final in Rome was filmed at the very spot where Karl Adams’ team once trained.
To recreate the world of rowing in the 1950s and 1960s as authentically as possible, five historic eights were restored by hand over the course of several months. The boats were crewed not only by actors but also by experienced rowers from Germany, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic—including German champions and Olympic gold medalists. Cameras mounted directly on the boats and positioned very close to the athletes are designed to bring the power, speed, and precision of rowing to life in a way rarely seen in cinema before.
Klaus Bittner, the last surviving rower from the 1960 gold-medal-winning eight, also visited the film set at this historic location. Thus, at Küchensee, not only did film and sports come together, but so did the past and the present.
Oliver Masucci plays the role of Karl Adam. He is joined on stage by Felix Kammerer, Svenja Jung, Heino Ferch, Axel Milberg, Leonard Kunz, and Nick Romeo Reimann, among others. The production was directed by Hannu Salonen.
For the rowing community, *ADAMS ACHT* is therefore more than just a sports movie. It’s a story about what defines our sport to this day: working together toward a common goal, mutual trust, and the realization that an eight can only go fast if everyone is willing to give it their all in unison.
ADAMS ACHT will be released in theaters nationwide on September 17, 2026.