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6.0 / 10(52 votes)IMDb19901h 59mFrance, Germany, Soviet Union, Switzerland

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...

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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

Check streaming options on JustWatch

Release History & Theatrical Window

World Premiere

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

Director

Peter Fleischmann

Screenplay & Story

Peter Fleischmann, Jean-Claude Carrière, Arkadiy Strugatskiy, Boris Strugatskiy, Dal Orlov, Pierre Christin

Original Score & Music

Jürgen Fritz

Director of Photography

Pavel Lebeshev, Klaus Müller-Laue, Jerzy Gościk

Film Editing

Marie-Josée Audiard, Christian Virmond, Natalia Akayomova

Producers

Peter Fleischmann, Valentina Rydvanova, Vladimir Knyazev, Willi Segler, Angelika Stute

Literary Origin & Source Material
Novel:Arkadiy StrugatskiyNovel:Boris Strugatskiy

Department Leadership Roster

Peter Fleischmann

Peter Fleischmann

Director

Peter Fleischmann

Peter Fleischmann

Writer

Jean-Claude Carrière

Jean-Claude Carrière

Writer

Peter Fleischmann

Peter Fleischmann

Producer

Jürgen Fritz

Original Music Composer

Valentina Rydvanova

Producer

Dal Orlov

Dal Orlov

Writer

Willi Segler

Producer

Pierre Christin

Pierre Christin

Writer

Oksana Medved

Production Design

Baranova Tatyana

Costume Design

Svetlana Ulko

Costume Design

Dominique Vignet

Producer

Marie-Josée Audiard

Editor

Pavel Lebeshev

Pavel Lebeshev

Director of Photography

Age Classification & Content Advisories

Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.

International Certification Matrix

Germany (FSK)16

FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.

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.

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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.).