Directed by Sönke Wortmann, it stars Johanna Wokalek as Joan, David Wenham as Gerold, her lover, and John Goodman as Pope Sergius II.

They reach Dorestad together, where the bishop reacts to Johanna's strong words with great surprise, and the teacher Odo (Marc Bischoff) unwillingly takes her into his class.

However, the vikings break into the city during the wedding ceremony and carry out a bloody massacre, which Johanna barely manages to survive, but her brother Johannes is killed in the attack.

Johanna flees the town in a male disguise, entering the Fulda monastery of Benedictines as "Brother Johannes Anglicus".

Meanwhile, Lothair's ally Anastasius successfully plots to murder Sergius in order to become pope himself, but the people elect Johanna as his successor by acclamation.

During her pontificate she presents herself as a charitable pope, helping women and children and appointing Gerold as head of the papal army.

Many years later the story of the female pope is made known by Bishop Arnaldo, who is revealed to be, in fact, Arnalda, the daughter of Arn.

Other locations were the cloister of the Landesschule Pforta and the church of St. Cyriakus in Gernrode, with the Rome scenes filmed in Ouarzazate, Morocco.

[2] Pope Joan was nominated in four categories in the 2010 Deutscher Filmpreis (Best Supporting Actress for Jördis Triebel, Art Direction, costumes, and sound design).