

Hard to Be a God
Es ist nicht leicht, ein Gott zu sein
Synopsis
Another planet in the period of medieval times. An employee of the institute of experimental history from Earth, who is send under the name of noble don Rumata of Estor as a spy with a mission to contact the local resident of the institute, arrives in the city of Arkanar. But the resident perishes under an unlucky attempt to make a palace coup, and Rumata have to take his place as the resident. Soon he meets all the horrors of the medieval society - a peasant war, palace coups, mass executions. To continue to be an indifferent watcher of all these horrors turns out to be simply impossible...
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Hard to be a God (1989)
Type: Clip • Published 2022-01-27
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →Edward Żentara
Rumata / Anton
Aleksandr Filippenko
Reba
Andrei Boltnev
Budach
Mikhail Gluzskiy
Hauk
Hugues Quester
Suren
Anne Gautier
Kyra
Christine Kaufmann
Okana
Pierre Clémenti
King
Elguja Burduli
Baron Pampa
Birgit Doll
Anka
Werner Herzog
Mita / Richard
Regimantas Adomaitis
Richard Kondor
Elguja Burduli
baron Pampa
Thomas Schücke
Jan
Lev Perfilov
fake Budakh
Gayle Hunnicutt
Nina Ilyina
Siula
Alicia Omelchuk
Release History & Theatrical Window
Venice Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Peter Fleischmann
- Screenplay & Story
- Peter Fleischmann, Jean-Claude Carrière, Arkadiy Strugatskiy, Boris Strugatskiy, Dal Orlov, Pierre Christin
- Original Score
- Jürgen Fritz
- Original Title
- Es ist nicht leicht, ein Gott zu sein
- Country of Origin
- France, Germany, Soviet Union, Switzerland
- Spoken Languages
- German
- Runtime
- 1h 59m
- Production Studios
- B.A. Produktion, Garance Films, Hallelujah Films, Mediactuel, Sovinfilm, ZDF, Dovzhenko Film Studios
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Peter Fleischmann
Peter Fleischmann, Jean-Claude Carrière, Arkadiy Strugatskiy, Boris Strugatskiy, Dal Orlov, Pierre Christin
Jürgen Fritz
Pavel Lebeshev, Klaus Müller-Laue, Jerzy Gościk
Marie-Josée Audiard, Christian Virmond, Natalia Akayomova
Peter Fleischmann, Valentina Rydvanova, Vladimir Knyazev, Willi Segler, Angelika Stute
Department Leadership Roster
Peter Fleischmann
Director
Peter Fleischmann
Writer
Jean-Claude Carrière
Writer
Peter Fleischmann
Producer
Jürgen Fritz
Original Music Composer
Valentina Rydvanova
Producer
Dal Orlov
Writer
Willi Segler
Producer
Pierre Christin
Writer
Oksana Medved
Production Design
Baranova Tatyana
Costume Design
Svetlana Ulko
Costume Design
Dominique Vignet
Producer
Marie-Josée Audiard
Editor
Pavel Lebeshev
Director of Photography
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Hard to Be a God.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Hard to Be a God.
MediaVault Movies
Movies available from my Plex server - Bogart's Lounge.
MovieLens[30K:40K]
THE MUSE: Fashion Inspiration in Film
Imported from MUBI list: https://mubi.com/en/lists/the-muse-fashion-inspiration-in-film
THE MUSE: Fashion Inspiration in Film
Imported from MUBI list: https://mubi.com/en/lists/the-muse-fashion-inspiration-in-film
Sci-Fi Cinema in the 1980s
Science fiction movies from the eighties (1980-1989), including TV movies as well as stand-alone mini-series. This list uses a fairly strict definition of science fiction, and therefore does not include most films that deal with fantasy, the supernatural, or super heroes. Films that fall more under the umbrella of horror (like a lot of zombie and pandemic films) have also been omitted.
Hidden Gems
Discover underrated treasures and overlooked classics waiting to shine on your screen!
More Like Hard to Be a God
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.












Frequently Asked Questions About Hard to Be a God
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Hard to Be a God about?
Another planet in the period of medieval times. An employee of the institute of experimental history from Earth, who is send under the name of noble don Rumata of Estor as a spy with a mission to contact the local resident of the institute, arrives in the city of Arkanar. But the resident perishes under an unlucky attempt to make a palace coup, and Rumata have to take his place as the resident. Soon he meets all the horrors of the medieval society - a peasant war, palace coups, mass executions. To continue to be an indifferent watcher of all these horrors turns out to be simply impossible...
Who directed Hard to Be a God?
Hard to Be a God was directed by Peter Fleischmann.
Who stars in Hard to Be a God?
The principal cast of Hard to Be a God includes Edward Żentara, Aleksandr Filippenko, Andrei Boltnev, Mikhail Gluzskiy, Hugues Quester.
When was Hard to Be a God released and how long is it?
Hard to Be a God was released in 1990 with a total runtime of 1h 59m.
Who composed the musical score for Hard to Be a God?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Hard to Be a God was composed by Jürgen Fritz.
Is Hard to Be a God based on a book or true story?
Hard to Be a God is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Arkadiy Strugatskiy", Novel: "Boris Strugatskiy".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Hard to Be a God?
Hard to Be a God holds official age classifications: DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.).
