Leben der Anderen, Das (2006)

Director:

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Writer:

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (written by)

Release Date:

23 March 2006 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama

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:

Curiosity | East German Culture | Cigarette Smoking | Apartment | Sex In Chair

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 56 wins & 22 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)
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 Baer

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

Art Department
Olaf Kronenthal	....	property master
Michael Roggemann	....	draughtsman
Christian Sitta	....	assistant production designer
Klaus Spielhagen	....	film architect

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

Stunts
Alister Mazzotti	....	stunt coordinator

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

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

Editorial Department
Julie Bargeton	....	assistant editor
Olivia Retzer	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Philipp F. Kölmel	....	music recordist: pre-production

Other crew
Oliver Berger	....	assistant set manager
Thomas Duchnicki	....	location scout
Wolfgang Rhaden	....	production accountant
Eva Simonet	....	press attaché: France
Nicole Wolfarth	....	researcher
Martin Zillger	....	location scout

Thanks
Erna Baumbauer	....	special thanks
Jörg Stempel	....	special 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 Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2006) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Buena Vista International (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Gemini Film (2007) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Homescreen (2007) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• 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)
• 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
• FilmFernsehFonds Bayern  funding
• Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA)  funding
• Just Publicity  public relations
• Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg  funding
• Symphonic Orchestra of the City of Prague  orchestra
• Vantage Film GmbH  camera equipment provided by
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Leben der Anderen - Die Sonate vom guten Menschen, Das (Germany) (working title)
The Lives of Others (USA)

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:

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

Filming Locations:

Altes Stadthaus, Klosterstraße, Berlin, Germany

Company:

Arte

Trivia:

The film set a record in 2006 for getting the most nominations (11) for the German Film Awards ever.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: In the first scene in the theater, a program clearly states the birthdate of Georg as 1939, but just a few scenes later he says he is preparing for his 40th birthday. As the action is said to take place in 1984, there is a five-year discrepancy. [Possibility: Georg says that he is 40 in an attempt to shake off the impression that he might be 50. Hence, he could very well be 45. That age would also be the same as that of the actor who plays him]

Quotes:

Oberstleutnant Anton Grubitz: I have to show you something: "Prison Conditions for Subversive Artists: Based on Character Profile". Pretty scientific, eh? And look at this: "Dissertation Supervisor, A. Grubitz". That's great, isn't it? I only gave him a B. They shouldn't think getting a doctorate with me is easy...

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007) (TV)

Brilliant movie

Germany has produced some very good movies recently ... but this one is in a class of its own. The main power of a quality movie, for me, has always been two things, a good story and mood - and this film has both. The story keeps you interested through all 139 minutes. You actually feel yourself transported to the 1980s of the former German republic. They have carefully chosen locations that looks east-germanish ... lots of "Trabant" cars on the streets :-) and the general grayish mood is very well recreated. The ordinary peoples fear of the Stasi is realistically portrayed. And i just love the twist in the story in the last 20 minutes or so. A brilliant movie that anyone even remotely interested in non-mainstream movies should see.