Kate Winslet's Lee Miller film Die Fotografin airs on ARD
Ellen Kuras's biographical drama Die Fotografin, starring Kate Winslet as war photographer Lee Miller, has been shown on Das Erste as part of the ARD SommerKino programme.
Die Fotografin is a 2023 British biographical drama directed by Ellen Kuras, starring Kate Winslet as war photographer Lee Miller. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023, opened in German cinemas on 19 September 2024, and was shown on Das Erste as part of the ARD SommerKino programme.
Kate Winslet's Lee Miller biopic Die Fotografin came to German free-to-air television on 3 August 2026, when ARD broadcast the film on Das Erste as part of its SommerKino programme, according to the broadcaster's listings. The WDR also listed the film in its programme offering. The British feature, directed by Ellen Kuras and released in 2023, tells the true story of Elizabeth "Lee" Miller, born in New York in 1907. Miller first became famous as a model in the 1920s before reinventing herself as a war reporter and photographer during the Second World War. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023 and opened in German cinemas on 19 September 2024; Winslet, who plays the title role, reportedly spent years working to bring the project to the screen. The television premiere gives the film its widest German audience yet. In an interview, Winslet said women are still learning not to accept a no for an answer — the quality that defined Miller's life and, she argues, keeps her story relevant.
Die Fotografin comes to German free-to-air television on ARD
Viewers in Germany can now watch Die Fotografin on free-to-air television. The film, in which Kate Winslet plays the American war photographer Lee Miller, was shown on ARD's main channel Das Erste on 3 August 2026. According to the broadcasters, it was the film's first airing on German television, forming part of the ARD SommerKino programme. TV listings put the start time at 20:15. The WDR also lists Die Fotografin in its programme offering.
The broadcast brings the 2023 British feature, directed by Ellen Kuras, to a wider German audience following its cinema release in the country on 19 September 2024. The biographical drama tells the story of Elizabeth "Lee" Miller, born in New York in 1907, who went from modelling in the 1920s to reporting and photographing during the Second World War. She died in 1977.
Lee Miller: from 1920s model to Second World War photographer
Lee Miller was born in New York in 1907, according to broadcaster programme notes, and lived until 1977. She first became famous in the 1920s as a model. Reports on the film's story describe an encounter with a Vogue publisher as a turning point in her life, opening the way into the world of fashion and photography.
Her career eventually took her far beyond the studio. During the Second World War she worked as a war reporter and photographer, documenting the conflict in Europe. It is this chapter of her life — the move from in front of the camera to behind it, and from fashion shoots to a war zone — that sits at the heart of the biographical drama. The film traces that arc, portraying a woman who reinvented herself more than once and refused to be confined to the role first assigned to her.
How Ellen Kuras and Kate Winslet brought Miller's life to the screen
Die Fotografin is a British feature film directed by Ellen Kuras, released in 2023. It is a biographical drama about the life of Lee Miller, who lived from 1907 to 1977, and is based on true events, according to programme listings and press coverage. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023 and opened in German cinemas on 19 September 2024.
Kate Winslet plays the title role of Elizabeth "Lee" Miller, who was born in New York in 1907. According to reports, the plot includes the protagonist's encounter with a Vogue publisher. Winslet's involvement went well beyond acting: she worked for many years to bring the project to the screen, according to coverage of the film's production. Kuras, an acclaimed cinematographer, made the film as her feature directing debut.
Winslet on why Miller's refusal to accept no still resonates
Kate Winslet has linked Lee Miller's life to a struggle she sees as unfinished. Women are still learning not to accept a no for an answer, the actress said, according to the headline of an interview published by Spiegel about the film.
The remark speaks directly to the story Die Fotografin tells. Miller, played by Winslet, built a career that took her from modelling in the 1920s to working as a war reporter and photographer during the Second World War — a path that required her to push past the limits placed on women of her era. Winslet's comment, as reported by Spiegel, frames that persistence not as a closed chapter of history but as something contemporary. The film's themes, in her telling, reach beyond the 1940s into the present day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the film Die Fotografin about?
Die Fotografin is a 2023 British biographical drama directed by Ellen Kuras. It tells the story of Lee Miller (1907–1977), who became famous as a model in the 1920s and later worked as a war reporter and photographer during the Second World War. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023.
Who plays Lee Miller in Die Fotografin?
Kate Winslet plays the title role of Lee Miller. In an interview about the film, Winslet said that women are still learning not to accept a no for an answer, according to the headline of a Spiegel piece. Reports also suggest Winslet worked for many years to bring the film project to life.
When was Die Fotografin shown on German TV?
According to programme reports, the film was broadcast on ARD (Das Erste) on 3 August 2026 as part of the ARD SommerKino programme, with the broadcast reportedly beginning at 20:15. It was said to be the film's first showing on German television. The WDR also lists Die Fotografin in its programme offering.
When did Die Fotografin come out in German cinemas?
The film opened in German cinemas on 19 September 2024, about a year after its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023.
Who was Lee Miller, the woman behind the film?
Lee Miller, born in 1907 and died in 1977, became famous as a model in the 1920s. She later worked as a war reporter and photographer during the Second World War. According to reports, she was born in New York, and the film's plot includes her meeting with a Vogue publisher. The film is a biographical drama based on true events.
Compiled from reporting by 11 independent outlets. How we source our reporting.
