Das Leben der Anderen (2006)

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 | Surveillance | Party | Germany

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 60 wins & 21 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 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
Michael Röska	....	gaffer
Jürgen Ruge	....	rigging gaffer

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
The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	....	orchestra
Adam Klemens	....	conductor
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
Sally Steele	....	publicist
Nicole Wolfarth	....	researcher
Martin Zillger	....	location scout

Thanks
Erna Baumbauer	....	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)
• 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)
• 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:

The Lives of Others (UK) (USA)
Das Leben der Anderen - Die Sonate vom guten Menschen (Germany) (working title)
De andras liv (Finland: Swedish title) (Sweden) [sv]
La vida de los otros (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
A Vida dos Outros (Brazil) [pt]
A mások élete (Hungary) [hu]
Baskalarinin hayati (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Chaiyim shel acherim (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
De andres liv (Denmark) [da]
La vida dels altres (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
La vie des autres (France) [fr]
Le vite degli altri (Italy) [it]
Muiden elämä (Finland) [fi]
Oi zoes ton allon (Greece) [el]
Teiste elu (Estonia) [et]
Zivoty tých druhých (Slovakia) [sk]
Zivoty tech druhých (Czech Republic) [cs]
Zycie na podsluchu (Poland) [pl]

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

Filming Locations:

Altes Stadthaus, Klosterstraße, Berlin, Germany

Company:

Arte

Trivia:

All the listening/recording props used in the film are actual Stasi equipment on loan from museums and collectors. The props master had himself spent two years in a Stasi prison and insisted upon absolute authenticity down to the machine used at the end of the film to steam-open up to 600 letters per hour.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Throughout the film, Wiesler is addressed as "Hauptmann" - Captain. However, during the scene when Lt.-Col. Grubitz is looking for him after Christa's interrogation, Grubitz asks if "Colonel" Wiesler has left.

Quotes:

Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler: Madam?
Christa-Maria Sieland: Go away. I want to be alone.
Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler: Madam Sieland?
Christa-Maria Sieland: Do we know each other?
Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler: You don't know me, but I know you. Many people love you for who you are.
Christa-Maria Sieland: Actors are never "who they are."
Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler: You are. I've seen you on stage. You were more who you are than you are now.
Christa-Maria Sieland: So you know what I'm like.
Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler: I'm your audience.
Christa-Maria Sieland: I have to go.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Yperoha plasmata: Tis Aristeras kai tis Proodou... (#1.18)" (2008)

Brilliant and terrifying!

After several light features (like the highly successful "Good-bye Lenin"), who evoked a popular nostalgia, it was about time that the dark past of the DDR is finally the topic of a movie. Not that I condemn light entertainment. There surely were plenty of happy times for the people in the DDR as well as in every other society. But, just like in the Biedermeier time at the beginning of the 19th century in middle Europe, the DDR was controlled by an omnipresent secret service, the Stasi, which forced people to be quiet about their true feelings. Considering this, the cry for the good old' times is simply inappropriate.

The movie tells the story of Stasi agent Wiesler (brilliant Ulrich Mühe), who follows his guidelines with chilling accuracy. His newest assignment is to wiretapping famed author Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his companion, actress Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck). Listening to their conversations, he gets more and more caught in their lives.

Wiesler, as he is played here by Ulrich Mühe, is not an individual, but a symbol for the whole system, where people did everything they were told to do. Clad only in gray and brown, filmed in stark and cold light, he's at first not capable of feelings. On the other hand Dreymann and Sieland represent the anti-Establishment, the intellectuals, who were severely hunted, arrested and killed by the government.

The most frightening aspect here is the banality of it all. The offices are bleak, the people talk about bugging operations etc. with a frighting causality. These men in grey look, talk and behave like boring civil servants, and their approach, the "normality" of their job makes it terribly chilling.

Director Florian Henckel-Donnersmarck is also able to recreate a feeling of constant observance and spying. In a disturbing scene a harmless joke becomes the center of suspicion and fear. We can glimpse how it must have been for citizens of the DDR, to live with constant suppression of their free will and opinion.

As important it is, not to forget the good things and memories people might have of their past, it's also important not to forget or to reduce the impact and fear that this regime put on their people for 40 years.