German Oscar Nomination
January 23, 2007
Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, the spy drama known in German as "Das Leben der Anderen" was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for "Best Foreign Language Film" and named "European Film of 2006" at the 19th European Film Awards.
The movie is in the running for the Academy Award against Danish movie "After the Wedding," "Days of Glory" (Indigenes) from Algeria, "Pan's Labyrinth" from Mexico and "Water" from Canada.
Cloak and dagger
The movie is an intense look at a committed East German secret police officer who gradually becomes disillusioned with the system he has worked to uphold. He finally switches sides and tries to protect a woman he was assigned to spy on.
"The Lives of Others" is the first feature film for 32-year-old von Donnersmarck and explores how East Germany's secret police service, the Stasi, invaded the lives of so many of its own citizens, destroying many along the way.
"This film is a more serious consideration of the era than ones that proceeded it," said Mike Swain, head of the German online movie site kino.de. "It has a very precise analysis of a police state. On another level, it asks if it's possible to maintain one's humanity in a totalitarian system."
Awash in awards
"The Lives of Others" beat Spanish movie "Volver" starring Penelope Cruz to win the European Film of 2006, the European Film Academy's top prize in 2006. Henckel von Donnersmarck also took home the European Screenwriter award, while Ulrich Mühe, who played the Stasi spy, won European Actor.
The film had already won six "Lolas," Germany's top film prizes, including the awards for best film and best actor in May 2006.