The Lives of Others
Das Leben der Anderen
“Before the Fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany's Secret Police Listened to Your Secrets.”
Synopsis
In 1984 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler begins spying on a famous playwright and his actress-lover Christa-Maria. Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple, and faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2007-01-09
Top Cast
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Martina Gedeck
Christa-Maria Sieland
Ulrich Mühe
Gerd Wiesler
Sebastian Koch
Georg Dreyman
Ulrich Tukur
Anton Grubitz
Thomas Thieme
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
Werner Daehn
Einsatzleiter in Uniform
Hinnerk Schönemann
Axel Stigler
Thomas Arnold
Nowack
Ludwig Blochberger
Benedikt Lehmann
Martin Brambach
Einsatzleiter Meyer
Release History & Theatrical Window
Kinopremiere für den Deutschen Bundestag
Festival / Special Debut
June 6, 2006
Wide Cinema Exhibition
September 17, 2007
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$2M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$77.7M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
38.84x
+$75.7M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
- Screenplay & Story
- Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
- Original Score
- Gabriel Yared, Stéphane Moucha
- Original Title
- Das Leben der Anderen
- Country of Origin
- Germany, France
- Spoken Languages
- German
- Runtime
- 2h 17m
- Production Budget
- $2M
- Worldwide Gross
- $77.7M
- Production Studios
- Creado Film, Wiedemann & Berg Film, ARTE, BR
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Gabriel Yared, Stéphane Moucha
Hagen Bogdanski
Patricia Rommel
Max Wiedemann, Quirin Berg
Department Leadership Roster
Patricia Rommel
Editor
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Director
Gabriel Yared
Original Music Composer
Stéphane Moucha
Original Music Composer
Max Wiedemann
Producer
Quirin Berg
Producer
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Screenplay
Hagen Bogdanski
Director of Photography
Silke Buhr
Production Design
Gabriele Binder
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 Accompanied — Restricted to persons 15 and older.
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Lives of Others.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Lives of Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Lives of Others
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Lives of Others about?
In 1984 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler begins spying on a famous playwright and his actress-lover Christa-Maria. Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple, and faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria.
Who directed The Lives of Others?
The Lives of Others was directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.
Who stars in The Lives of Others?
The principal cast of The Lives of Others includes Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Tukur, Thomas Thieme.
When was The Lives of Others released and how long is it?
The Lives of Others was released in 2006 with a total runtime of 2h 17m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Lives of Others?
The Lives of Others had a reported production budget of $2M and grossed $77.7M at the worldwide box office (38.84 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for The Lives of Others?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Lives of Others was composed by Gabriel Yared, Stéphane Moucha.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Lives of Others?
The Lives of Others holds official age classifications: AU: MA15+ (Mature Accompanied — Restricted to persons 15 and older.); CA: 14A; DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: TP; GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).