The Unbearable Lightness of Being
“A lovers’ story.”
Synopsis
Successful surgeon Tomas leaves Prague for an operation, meets a young photographer named Tereza, and brings her back with him. Tereza is surprised to learn that Tomas is already having an affair with the bohemian Sabina, but when the Soviet invasion occurs, all three flee to Switzerland. Sabina begins an affair, Tom continues womanizing, and Tereza, disgusted, returns to Czechoslovakia. Realizing his mistake, Tomas decides to chase after her.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2012-02-07
Top Cast
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Daniel Day-Lewis
Tomas
Juliette Binoche
Tereza
Lena Olin
Sabina
Derek de Lint
Franz
Stellan Skarsgård
The Engineer
Erland Josephson
The Ambassador
Pavel Landovský
Pavel
Donald Moffat
Chief Surgeon
Daniel Olbrychski
Interior Ministry Official
Tomasz Borkowy
Jiri
Bruce Myers
Czech Editor
Pavel Slabý
Pavel's Nephew
Pascale Kalensky
Nurse Katja
Jacques Ciron
Swiss Restaurant Manager
Anne Lonnberg
Swiss Photographer
Szabó László
Russian Interrogator
Vladimír Valenta
Mayor
Clovis Cornillac
Boy in Bar
Release History & Theatrical Window
Film and Art Festival Two Riversides
Festival / Special Debut
February 5, 1988
Wide Cinema Exhibition
June 30, 2003
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$17M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$10M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.59x
-$7M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Philip Kaufman
- Screenplay & Story
- Jean-Claude Carrière, Philip Kaufman
- Original Score
- Mark Adler
- Original Title
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- Czech, English
- Runtime
- 2h 51m
- Production Budget
- $17M
- Worldwide Gross
- $10M
- Production Studios
- The Saul Zaentz Company
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Philip Kaufman
Jean-Claude Carrière, Philip Kaufman, Milan Kundera
Mark Adler
Sven Nykvist
Vivien Hillgrove, Michael Magill, Walter Murch
Bertil Ohlsson, Saul Zaentz
Department Leadership Roster
Philip Kaufman
Director
Jean-Claude Carrière
Screenplay
Philip Kaufman
Screenplay
Mark Adler
Original Music Composer
Sven Nykvist
Director of Photography
Vivien Hillgrove
Editor
Michael Magill
Editor
Walter Murch
Editor
Pierre Guffroy
Production Design
Saul Zaentz
Producer
Rémy Julienne
Stunt Coordinator
Ann Roth
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Unbearable Lightness of Being about?
Successful surgeon Tomas leaves Prague for an operation, meets a young photographer named Tereza, and brings her back with him. Tereza is surprised to learn that Tomas is already having an affair with the bohemian Sabina, but when the Soviet invasion occurs, all three flee to Switzerland. Sabina begins an affair, Tom continues womanizing, and Tereza, disgusted, returns to Czechoslovakia. Realizing his mistake, Tomas decides to chase after her.
Who directed The Unbearable Lightness of Being?
The Unbearable Lightness of Being was directed by Philip Kaufman.
Who stars in The Unbearable Lightness of Being?
The principal cast of The Unbearable Lightness of Being includes Daniel Day-Lewis, Juliette Binoche, Lena Olin, Derek de Lint, Stellan Skarsgård.
When was The Unbearable Lightness of Being released and how long is it?
The Unbearable Lightness of Being was released in 1988 with a total runtime of 2h 51m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Unbearable Lightness of Being?
The Unbearable Lightness of Being had a reported production budget of $17M and grossed $10M at the worldwide box office (0.59 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for The Unbearable Lightness of Being?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Unbearable Lightness of Being was composed by Mark Adler.
Is The Unbearable Lightness of Being based on a book or true story?
The Unbearable Lightness of Being is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Milan Kundera".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Unbearable Lightness of Being?
The Unbearable Lightness of Being holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).