The Lives of Others (2006) Das Leben der Anderen (original title)

Director:

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Writer:

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (written by)

Release Date:

23 March 2006 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Before the Fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany's Secret Police Listened to Your Secrets

Plot:

In 1984 East Berlin, an agent of the secret police, conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover, finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives.

Plot Keywords:

Actress | East Germany | Secret Police | Surveillance | Police

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 66 wins & 25 nominations

Cast

Martina Gedeck	...	Christa-Maria Sieland
Ulrich Mühe	...	Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler
Sebastian Koch	...	Georg Dreyman
Ulrich Tukur	...	Oberstleutnant Anton Grubitz
Thomas Thieme	...	Minister Bruno Hempf
Hans-Uwe Bauer	...	Paul Hauser
Volkmar Kleinert	...	Albert Jerska
Matthias Brenner	...	Karl Wallner
Charly Hübner	...	Udo
Herbert Knaup	...	Gregor Hessenstein
Bastian Trost	...	Häftling 227
Marie Gruber	...	Frau Meineke
Volker Michalowski	...	Schriftexperte (as Zack Volker Michalowski)
Werner Daehn	...	Einsatzleiter in Uniform
Martin Brambach	...	Einsatzleiter Meyer
Hubertus Hartmann	...	Egon Schwalber
Thomas Arnold	...	Nowack
Hinnerk Schönemann	...	Unterleutnant Axel Stigler
Paul Faßnacht	...	Onkel Frank Hauser (as Paul Fassnacht)
Ludwig Blochberger	...	Benedikt Lehmann
Paul Maximilian Schüller	...	Junge mit Ball
Susanna Kraus	...	Andrea
Gabi Fleming	...	Prostituierte 'Ute'
Michael Gerber	...	Zahnarzt Dr. Czimmy
Fabian von Klitzing	...	Tagesschausprecher
Harald Polzin	...	Wächter
Sheri Hagen	...	'Martha' 1991
Gitta Schweighöfer	...	'Anja' 1984
Elja-Dusa Kedves	...	'Anja' 1991
Hildegard Schroedter	...	'Elena' 1984
Inga Birkenfeld	...	'Elena' 1991 / BStU-Mitarbeiterin
Philipp Kewenig	...	Christas Verhafter
Jens Wassermann	...	'Rolf' Andi Wenzke-Falkenau
Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky	...	Bandleader
Manfred Ludwig Sextett	...	Band
Kai Ivo Baulitz	...	Buchverkäufer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ralf Ehrlich	...	Kollege in der Stasi-Kantine (uncredited)
Anabelle Munro	...	Theatre Actress (uncredited)
Klaus Münster	...	Erich Mielke (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Writing credits
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck		(written by)

Produced by
Quirin Berg	....	producer
Claudia Gladziejewski	....	delegate producer: Bayerischer Rundfunk
Dirk Hamm	....	co-producer
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck	....	co-producer
Max Wiedemann	....	producer

Original Music by
Stéphane Moucha
Gabriel Yared

Cinematography by
Hagen Bogdanski

Film Editing by
Patricia Rommel

Casting by
Simone Bär

Production Design by
Silke Buhr

Art Direction by
Christiane Rothe

Set Decoration by
Frank Noack

Costume Design by
Gabriele Binder

Makeup Department
Tamar Aviv	....	assistant makeup artist: extras
Annett Schulze	....	makeup artist
Sabine Schumann	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Oliver Berger	....	assistant set manager
Lisa Kolodzik	....	unit production manager
Tom Sternitzke	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Claudia Beewen	....	assistant director
Katharina Hofmann	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Olaf Kronenthal	....	property master
Michael Roggemann	....	draughtsman
Christian Sitta	....	assistant production designer
Klaus Spielhagen	....	film architect
Gonda Hinrichs	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Eva Claudius	....	adr editor
João Da Costa Pinto	....	foley editor
Detlef Halaski	....	adr mixer
Andrea Koschmieder	....	dialogue editor
Jörn Poetzl	....	foley artist
Hubertus Rath	....	sound re-recording mixer
Oliver Schnug	....	boom operator
Philipp Sellier	....	foley recordist
Christoph von Schönburg	....	sound designer
Christoph von Schönburg	....	supervising sound editor
Arno Wilms	....	production sound mixer

Special Effects by
Hans Seck	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Maik Strauch	....	color timer

Stunts
Alister Mazzotti	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Nicolay Gutscher	....	assistant camera
Hagen Keller	....	still photographer
Jürgen Ruge	....	rigging gaffer
Michael Röska	....	gaffer
Florian Wentzel	....	lighting technician

Casting Department
Marcel Dykiert	....	extras casting assistant
Iris Müller	....	extras casting
Kirstin Plotz	....	casting assistant

Editorial Department
Julie Bargeton	....	assistant editor
Sylvain Coutandin	....	post-production assistant
Ute Lingner	....	film lab manager
Stefan Müller	....	managing director film lab
Gabriela Schultze	....	sales manager film lab
Olivia Retzer	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Jean-Pierre Arquie	....	music consultant
The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	....	orchestra
Jan Holzner	....	music recording/mixing engineer
Adam Klemens	....	conductor
Philipp F. Kölmel	....	music recordist: pre-production

Other crew
Oliver Berger	....	assistant set manager
Thomas Duchnicki	....	location scout
Christine Haupt	....	production coordinator
Wolfgang Rhaden	....	production accountant
Eva Simonet	....	press attaché: France
Sally Steele	....	publicist
Nicole Wolfarth	....	researcher
Martin Zillger	....	location scout
Anabelle Munro	....	double: Monica Gedeck (uncredited)

Thanks
Erna Baumbauer	....	special thanks
Sebastian Henckel-Donnersmarck	....	special thanks
Jörg Stempel	....	special thanks
Mahée Thorak	....	grateful thanks

Production Companies

• Arte
• Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)
• Creado Film
• Wiedemann & Berg Filmproduktion

Distributors

• Buena Vista International (2006) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2007) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• ABC Distribution (2007) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Albatros Film (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2007) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Beta Cinema (2006) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Bontonfilm (2007) (Czech Republic) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Buena Vista International (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Chantier Films (2007) (Turkey) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Gemini Film (2007) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Lionsgate (2006) (UK) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2007) (Canada) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Océan Films (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• Rai Cinema (2007) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution Sverige AB (2006) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2006) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2007) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sandrews (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Sandrews (2010) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Touchstone Home Video (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Champagne Veuve Clicquot  thanks
• CinePostproduction  post-production facilities
• FilmFernsehFonds Bayern  funding
• Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA)  funding
• Just Publicity  public relations
• Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg  funding
• Symphonic Orchestra of the City of Prague  orchestra
• Vantage Film  camera equipment provided by
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Das Leben der Anderen" - Germany (original title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality/nudity

Runtime:

137 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:12 | Czech Republic:12 | USA:R | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-11 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Singapore:M18 | Hong Kong:IIB | France:Unrated | Australia:MA | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Italy:T | South Korea:15 | Malaysia:U | Spain:7 | Brazil:12 | New Zealand:M | India:A | Norway:11 | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

Gedenkstätte Hohenschönhausen, Hohenschönhausen, Berlin, Germany

Company:

Arte

Trivia:

The Brecht poem that Wiesler reads is called "Erinnerung an die Marie A.".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Wiesler and Grubitz are having lunch with some Stasi-members, there isn't anything on their plates.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Guard:[subtitled version] Stand still. Eyes to the floor.
[pause]
Guard:Walk on.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Shhh (2008)

Intelligent and moving dealing with GDR history

East Berlin, November 1984. Five years before its downfall the GDR seeks to maintain its power with the help of a merciless system of control and observation. When Oberstleutnant Anton Grubitz puts loyal Stasi-Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler on to the famous writer Georg Dreymann and his girlfriend Christa Maria Sieland who is a famous actress herself, he expects career advancement for himself. For most important politicians are responsible for this "operative act".

What Wiesler did not expect: the intimate view on the world of the ones he's observing changes the snitch as well. Looking at "the life of the others" makes him aware of the beggarliness in his own life and enables access to a so far unknown world of love, free thinking and speaking he is hardly able to elude. But the system can't be stopped anymore and a dangerous game, which destroys the love of Christa Maria Sieland and Georg Dreymann and Wieslers present existence begins.

Until the fall of the wall each of them has paid a big price. After that a whole new world begins.

My personal opinion - though it doesn't count that much - is that this one a an absolute Must See. I can hardly remember such an intelligent and moving German movie especially not including the whole topic of GDR history and the dealing with it. I think this is the first German movie which shows this system as it used to be (which has been confirmed by several contemporary witnesses) and not turns it and its people into comedy though there have been several good ones, of course.