The Lives of Others (2006 film)
The Lives of Others is a 2006 German drama film depicting Stasi's surveillance in East Berlin. It won an Academy Award, grossed $77 million worldwide, and offers a poignant exploration of loyalty and human connections.
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The Lives of Others is a 2006 German drama film directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, depicting the monitoring of East Berlin residents by the Stasi, East Germany's secret police. The movie stars Ulrich Mühe, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch, and Ulrich Tukur. It won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and grossed over $77 million worldwide. The film's release marked a departure from previous comedic portrayals of East Germany post-Berlin Wall. The plot follows Stasi Captain Gerd Wiesler as he spies on playwright Georg Dreyman, leading to a series of events involving love, betrayal, and the revelation of hidden truths. The film's authenticity was praised despite some criticism of character portrayal. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of East Germany's oppressive regime, culminating in a poignant exploration of loyalty, sacrifice, and redemption. The Lives of Others stands out as a compelling portrayal of life under surveillance and the human connections that transcend political boundaries.
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12 comments"China’s facial-recognition systems crunch data from cameras to monitor citizens" (2017), https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14643433
"The Stasi Had a Giant Smell Register of Dissidents” (2021), https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27998162
"US reauthorizing and expanding surveillance laws" (2024), https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/16/house-fisa-g...
> Turner-Himes amendment lists some business types that are excepted from the requirement to help spy – like dwellings and restaurants – an almost limitless number of entities that provide wifi or just have access to Americans’ devices could be roped into the government’s surveillance operations. Using the wifi in your dentist office, hiring a cleaner who has access to your laptop, or even storing communications equipment in an office you rent could all expose you to increased risk of surveillance.
HN ranking history for this thread: http://hnrankings.info/40840762
„In February 2007, Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella announced a deal with The Weinstein Company to produce and direct an English-language remake of The Lives of Others. Minghella died in March 2008 and Pollack died less than three months later.“
Movielens nailed it on that one.
So if TLOO was overrated, at the opposite end of the spectrum is another "Panopticon movie" that's contemporarily set and underrated: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerve_(2016_film)
If you want to viscerally understand the dystopia that the communist bloc experienced then I think this is one of the movies you should watch.
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