Netflix has confirmed the upcoming global release of Godmother of Punk: The Nina Hagen Story, a powerful new four-part documentary series chronicling the life and legacy of one of the most electrifying and unconventional voices in music history. The series will premiere worldwide on December 12, 2025, and promises an unflinching, intimate portrait of Nina Hagen, the icon who tore down boundaries between punk, opera, rebellion, and spirituality.
Known for her dramatic stage presence, soaring vocal range, and fearless activism, Nina Hagen has long defied categorization. With this series, Netflix aims to introduce new audiences to her story while honoring her profound influence on counterculture, fashion, and feminist artistry.
“Nina Hagen is more than a punk legend — she’s a cultural force,” said director Leila Gerstein, whose previous work includes The Queen’s Gambit and The Get Down. “This isn’t just a music doc — it’s a portrait of resistance, eccentricity, and survival.”
The series traces Hagen’s extraordinary journey, beginning with her early years in East Berlin, where she was raised by her politically outspoken mother and stepfather, both actors blacklisted by the GDR regime. It then follows her dramatic escape to the West in the mid-1970s, her immersion in the London punk scene, and her explosive rise to fame with the release of her debut solo album NunSexMonkRock.
Each episode focuses on a different period of Hagen’s life, offering never-before-seen archival footage, personal recordings, and new interviews with Hagen herself — now 70 and living in Germany — along with musicians, artists, and cultural figures inspired by her.
Contributors include Peaches, Yoko Ono, Beth Ditto, Billie Eilish, and longtime collaborator Lene Lovich, all reflecting on Hagen’s fearless authenticity, political voice, and genre-defying music. The documentary also explores her deep spiritual evolution — from embracing Hinduism and UFO beliefs to speaking out for animal rights and LGBTQ+ causes.
“She’s never followed anyone’s rules,” says Ditto in the trailer. “And that’s why we love her.”
With Netflix known for award-winning music docs like Miss Americana and WHAM!, Godmother of Punk is expected to be a standout release for year’s end — celebrating not just a musician, but a cultural warrior who redefined what it means to be truly free.
Prepare to witness the chaos, charisma, and courage of a living legend. Godmother of Punk: The Nina Hagen Story arrives December 12, 2025, only on Netflix.
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