CFE Film Series: The Lives of Others

The Lives of Others is a 2006 German drama film, marking the feature film debut of filmmaker Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, about the monitoring of East Berlin residents by agents of the Stasi, the GDR's secret police. It stars Ulrich Mühe as Stasi Captain Gerd Wiesler, Ulrich Tukur as his superior Anton Grubitz, Sebastian Koch as the playwright Georg Dreyman, and Martina Gedeck as Dreyman's lover, a prominent actress named Christa-Maria Sieland.

“a complex political thriller that touches an emotional chord. All the performances are top-tier…the best kind of movie: one you can’t get out of your head.”

-- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

“shows, with excruciating precision, the cruelty with which a totalitarian state can exploit the weakness and confusion of its citizens”

-- A.O. Scott, New York Times

“the script is subtle, the direction sensitive and the cast superb”

--Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

Introduction by Martin Weinhold, Visiting Artist, Ryerson’s School of Image Arts

Co-sponsored with the Documentary Media Research Centre at Ryerson University

Please contact cfe@ryerson.ca if you require accommodation to ensure inclusion in this event.