A very thought provoking story that shows the persuasive beauty and power of a life well-lived. A deeply moving and thoughtful exploration of personhood and the evil of dehumanization. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ •
Some sexuality/nudity.Set in 1980s East Berlin, director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's debut feature (which earned an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film) provides an exquisitely nuanced portrait of life under the watchful eye of the state police as a high-profile couple is bugged. When a successful playwright and his actress companion become subjects of the Stasi's secret surveillance program, their friends, family and even those doing the watching find their lives changed too.
