Germany (2006): Drama

At once a political thriller and human drama, Das Leben der Anderen begins in East Berlin in 1984, five years before Glastnost and the fall of the Berlin Wall and ultimately takes us to 1991, in what is now the reunited Germany. The film traces the gradual disillusionment of Captain Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe), a highly skilled officer who works for the Stasi, East Germany's all-powerful secret police. His mission is to spy on a celebrated writer and actress couple, Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck).

Supported by a longtime colleague, Lt. Col. Grubitz (Ulrich Tukur), head of the Cultural Dept., and former Stasi officer-turned-minister Hempf (Thomas Thieme), Wiesler has Dreyman's apartment wired. But Wiesler can't pin anything on the scribe, who genuinely believes in East Germany's socialist ideals. Rather, the pic's dramatic motor is Wiesler becoming fascinated by Dreyman's life and his live-in relationship with actress Christa-Maria.

When Hempf, who's taken a liking to Christa-Maria, orders Wiesler to pin something on Dreyman to get him out of the way, the loyal Stasi acolyte finds himself in a quandary for the first time in his career. Meantime, Dreyman also has his beliefs shaken by the suicide of an old friend, stage director Albert Jerska (Volkmar Kleinert).

Written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. (Bayerischer Rundfunk, Creado Film, Wiedemann & Berg Filmproduction, arte/Sony Classics - Web site [US])

   ·Best Foreign Language Film of the Year 2006: (Germany) Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, director

1 nomination, 1 Award