No Hamburg, No Beatles

“We were born in Liverpool but grew up in Hamburg”, John Lennon once said. This feature documentary seeks to find the truth in those words. The long and winding road that the Beatles took to worldwide fame passed through Hamburg, Germany in the early 1960s. Only a couple of years before they became household names, the former Quarrymen were cutting their musical teeth on nightclub stages in the city. Hamburg had become the vice capital of Europe after World War Two, its neon-lit streets home to sailors, sex workers, drug dealers, gangs and low life. Meanwhile, the English band was still developing, still young and virtually unknown. By the time of their last German visit in 1966, the Beatles were an international phenomenon. 'No Hamburg, No Beatles' explains how learning their trade in this fascinating city helped propel them to global stardom.

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  Paul McCartney

  Self (archive footage)
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  John Lennon

  Self (archive footage)
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  George Harrison

  Self (archive footage)
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  Pete Best

  Self
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  Stuart Sutcliffe

  Self (archive footage)
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  Ringo Starr

  Self (archive footage)
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  Astrid Kirchherr

  Self
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  Klaus Voormann

  Self
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  Tony Sheridan

  Self (archive footage)
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  Brian Epstein

  Self (archive footage) (voice)