the lives of others, 2006

Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (writer also)
Starring: Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch, Martina Gedeck
Tagline: Before the Fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany's Secret Police Listened to Your Secrets

Basic plot: 1984 - Weisler (Ulriche Mühe) is a member of the East German Secret Service (Stasi) who is in charge of surveillance on a playwright and author, Dreyman (Sebastian Koch). The playwright appears to follow the Party line, but Weisler believes something isn't right when he watches him at a performance of his latest play. Winner: oscar for best foreign film, 2007

I am so impressed by this film. I doubted whether i should rent it because it sounded downright depressing. It's not. It's a tale of a man's slow change - of letting his "human-ness" win. Ulrich Mühe is fantastic. If you watch the writer/director interview, you'll find out that Mr. Mühe was actually under surveillance in real life by the Stasi starting just after he left high school. His portrayal of the Stasi officer is moving.

Favorite Moments of Change:

1. Listening to Dreyman playing the piano - the Lenin quote.

2. The elevator.

3. Reading Brecht.

Scariest Quote: "Know what the best part is? Most Type 4's we've processed in this way never write anything again. Or paint anything or whatever artists do...." - Grubitz (Weisler's superior)

Highly Recommended.