Good Bye Lenin! (2003)

Director:

Wolfgang Becker

Writers:

Bernd Lichtenberg (written by) and
Wolfgang Becker (co-author)

Release Date:

13 February 2003 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Die DDR lebt weiter -- auf 79 qm!

Plot:

In 1990, to protect his fragile mother from a fatal shock after a long coma; a young man must keep her from learning that her beloved nation of East Germany as she knew it has disappeared.

Plot Keywords:

Coma | Germany | Heart Attack | East Germany | Nurse

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 31 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Daniel Brühl	...	Alexander 'Alex' Kerner
Katrin Saß	...	Christiane Kerner (as Kathrin Sass)
Chulpan Khamatova	...	Lara
Maria Simon	...	Ariane Kerner
Florian Lukas	...	Denis
Alexander Beyer	...	Rainer
Burghart Klaußner	...	Robert Kerner
Michael Gwisdek	...	Klapprath
Christine Schorn	...	Frau Schäfer
Jürgen Holtz	...	Herr Ganske
Jochen Stern	...	Herr Mehlert
Stefan Walz	...	Sigmund Jähn
Eberhard Kirchberg	...	Dr. Wagner
Hans-Uwe Bauer	...	Dr. Mewes
Nico Ledermueller	...	Alex - 11 Jahre (as Nico Ledermüller)
Jelena Kratz	...	Ariane - 13 Jahre
Laureen Hatscher	...	Baby Paula - 1 Jahr (as Laureen)
Felicitas Hatscher	...	Baby Paula - 1 Jahr (as Felicitas)
Martin Brambach	...	Stasi 1
Michael Gerber	...	Stasi 2
Robert Störr	...	Funktionär Ordensverleihung
Philipp Kupfer	...	Baby Paula - 3 Monate
Ernst-Georg Schwill	...	Taxifahrer
Rainer Werner	...	Stasi in Jeansjacke
Marc Bischoff	...	Junger Stationsarzt
Horst-Dieter Stork	...	Grenzer 1
Hartmut Kuley	...	NVA-Offizier
Peter Kurth	...	'X-TV' Chef
Ditmar Bieseke	...	Grenzer 2
Arndt Schwering-Sohnrey	...	Fahrer Krankenwagen
Dirk Prinz	...	Beifahrer
Jürgen Vogel	...	Das Küken
Elke Werner	...	Verkäuferin HO-Markt
Regina Ziebach	...	Gurkenfrau
Wolfgang Stein	...	Gurkenmann
Mennan Yapo	...	Flohmarktverkäufer
Maximilian Brunow	...	Pionier Sascha
Bojan Heyn	...	Pionier Niko
Fritz Roth	...	Pförtner Coca-Cola
Armin Dillenberger	...	Bankangestellter
Denys Darahan	...	Pionier Christian
Bastian Lang	...	Pionier Frank
Lothar Schlichthar	...	Dicker Mann am Pool
Alexander Reed	...	Wuppertaler
Ute Michel	...	Frauenärztin (as Dr. Ute Michel)
Svea Timander	...	Vaters neue Frau
Hanna Schwamborn	...	Carla
Rafael Hübner	...	Thomas
Michael Berge	...	Partyredner
Rey Agana
Marcel Bellin
Aandrea Bork
Angelo Bossert
Christiane Brauer
Igor-Immanuel Bruckhaus
Mimmo Catania
Toni Filler
Meike Frerichs
Marc Geiselhart
Charline Gülle
Leonore Haberkorn
Bjoern Heinrich
Torsten Heyroth
Jasmin Hoffmann
Clemens Holzendorff
Susann Hotze
Wasin Jung
André Kindzorra
Dieter Kraft
Jörn Itzeck
Simone Kruse
Kai-Quin Liang
Fred Luck
Karoline Metzig
Utz Neumann
Christoph Olonczik
Marakorn Praphawat
Pham Quang
Sebastian Raehse
Michelle Reed
Jacqueline Schachmann
Angelika Schmegg
Wolfgang Schreiber
Florian Seiffge
Michael Stübing
Christian Trautsch
Adrian Wolff
Andreas Thieck	...	SFB-Nachrichtensprecher (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Guido Buchwald	...	Himself (archive footage)
Erich Honecker	...	Himself (archive footage)
Sigmund Jähn	...	Himself (archive footage)
Klaus Augenthaler	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Willy Brandt	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Lothar de Maizière	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hans-Dietrich Genscher	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mikhail Gorbachev	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Raisa Gorbachev	...	Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hannelore Kohl	...	Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Helmut Kohl	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Egon Krenz	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Lothar Matthäus	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Erich Mielke	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Walter Momper	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Karl-Heinz Riedle	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Eduard Shevardnadze	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Sarah Tkotsch	...	Mitglied des Pionierchors (uncredited)
Angelika Unterlauf	...	Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Rudi Völler	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Chris Waddle	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Wolfgang Becker

Writing credits
Bernd Lichtenberg		written by and
Wolfgang Becker		co-author

Produced by
Stefan Arndt	....	producer
Katja De Bock	....	producer
Marcos Kantis	....	line producer
Paul Müller	....	line producer
Andreas Schreitmüller	....	producer
Manuela Stehr	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Yann Tiersen

Cinematography by
Martin Kukula

Film Editing by
Peter R. Adam
Antje Zynga		(uncredited)

Casting by
Simone Bär

Production Design by
Lothar Holler

Art Direction by
Matthias Klemme

Costume Design by
Aenne Plaumann

Makeup Department
Birger Laube	....	makeup artist: "Sigmund Jähn"
Lena Lazzarotto	....	makeup artist
Heike Merker	....	makeup artist
Björn Rehbein	....	hair stylist
Björn Rehbein	....	makeup artist
Sabine Schumann	....	makeup artist: second unit
Madeleine Spremberg	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Milanka Comfort	....	unit production manager
François Doge	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Susanne Boeing	....	third assistant director
Sarah Gross	....	first assistant director
Scott Kirby	....	first assistant director: additional shooting
Marcus Welsch	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Ulrich Christian	....	property master
Andrea Eisensee	....	set dresser
Holger Isenberg	....	construction manager
Claudia Kiefer	....	props: second unit
Christian Schaefer	....	set designer
Kay Scziegel	....	props (as Kay-Uwe Scziegel)
Timo Scziegel	....	art department runner
Harald Serowski	....	art director: reshoots
Wolfgang Wrede	....	painter
Marco Pressler	....	construction manager (uncredited)

Sound Department
Christoph Dudek	....	sound
Lars Ginzel	....	sound effects editor
Jochen Isfort	....	first boom operator
Dirk Jacob	....	sound designer
Kai-Uwe Koch	....	adr editor
Frank Kruse	....	foley editor
Torsten Löhn	....	assistant sound
Martin Müller	....	sound: second unit
Michael Müller	....	foley editor
Jörn Poetzl	....	foley artist
Alexander Schaefer	....	second boom operator
Wolfgang Schukrafft	....	sound
Philipp Sellier	....	foley recordist
Kuen-Il Song	....	sound effects editor
Martin Steyer	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kai Tebbel	....	sound editor
Christoph Ulbich	....	voiceover recordist
Susy Wehrli	....	sound: second unit

Special Effects by
Sven Asamoa	....	special effects
Thorsten Thiesse	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Max Hattler	....	digital compositor
Manfred Kraemer	....	lead 3D artist
Natalie Maximova	....	visual effects
Moritz Peters	....	digital effects artist
Sven Pohle	....	visual effects
Andreas Schellenberg	....	visual effects supervisor
Bastian Schreitling	....	visual effects
Florian Schroeder	....	digital artist
Gerhard Spring	....	scanning and recording
Dominik Trimborn	....	scanning and recording
Gunnar Wittig	....	visual effects

Stunts
Mattias Bark	....	stunts
Mario Linse	....	stunts
Sascha Meissner	....	stunts
Jason Oettle	....	stunts
Katja Richter	....	stunts (as Katja Keya Richter)
Steve Thiede	....	stunts
Rainer Werner	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Juan José Alcaide	....	electrician (as Juan José Alcaide Perez)
Dieter Bähr	....	grip
Klemens Becker	....	Steadicam operator
Franco Bertone	....	electrician
Carlos Dessbesell-Schüler	....	clapper loader: second unit
Sonny Christian Fels	....	electrician
Wolfgang Franke	....	dolly grip
Matthias Ganghofer	....	assistant camera
Frank Griebe	....	cinematographer: additional shooting
Birgit Gudjonsdottir	....	director of photography: second unit
Jan Hartmann	....	assistant camera: second unit
Benjamin Hertzog	....	electrician
Ralph Kächele	....	director of photography: second unit
Conny Klein	....	still photographer
Christoph Manz	....	assistant camera
Dirk Merten	....	video operator
Florian Niedermeier	....	electrician
Dirk Plamböck	....	still photographer: second unit
Helmut Prein	....	gaffer: phase 2
Christian Scheibe	....	grip
Michael Schuff	....	electrician
Tommy Schulz	....	gaffer
Frank Schwaiger	....	assistant camera
Thorsten Schwytay	....	assistant camera
Martin Sell	....	electrician
Jörg Widmer	....	Steadicam operator

Casting Department
Iris Müller	....	extras casting
Kirstin Plotz	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Antje Hentze	....	additional costumer
Anne Kerstan	....	wardrobe
Barbara Koeppl	....	wardrobe
Petra Langer	....	additional costumer
Uta Müller	....	additional costumer
Heidrun Schlüter	....	additional costumer
Christine Seehofer	....	assistant costume designer
Frank Specht	....	wardrobe: second unit

Editorial Department
Sam Daley	....	colorist: high definition mastering
Jessica Ehlebracht	....	assistant editor
Patricia Ferbeck	....	negative cutter
Charly Huser	....	color timer
Boris Mang	....	post-production coordinator
Traudl Nicholson	....	color timer
Antje Zynga	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Xaver Naudascher	....	composer: additional score
Xaver Naudascher	....	score mixer
Wolfgang Richter	....	composer: song "Unser Sandmännchen"
Andro Steinborn	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Alexander Müller-Lenhartz	....	production driver

Other crew
Uli Adomat	....	production accountant
Regine Baschny	....	unit publicist
Mathias Braun	....	location scout
Daniele Drobny	....	production designer: additional shooting
Michael Foertsch	....	caterer
Ines Frederich	....	first location manager
Peter Futschik	....	account assistant
Jan Ole Gerster	....	personal assistant to director
Darius Ghanai	....	title designer
Hannes Gronenberg	....	trainee
Angela Grundt	....	assistant location manager
Hendrik Handloegten	....	co-author
Michael Konstabel	....	archive researcher
Christoph Kukula	....	production assistant
Felix Leitermann	....	location manager
Gisela Liesenfeld	....	assistant: Mr. Arndt
Franziska Linke	....	production assistant
Boris Mang	....	assistant to director
Bibbi Müller	....	second location manager
Sepp Reidinger	....	laboratory manager
Sybille Rohde	....	production coordinator
Marco Schenke	....	crowd marshall
Sandra Scheucher	....	script supervisor: second unit
Christoph Silber	....	script consultant
Sally Steele	....	publicist
Andro Steinborn	....	head of business/legal affairs
Martin Storck	....	assistant accountant
Caroline Veyssière	....	continuity
Caroline Veyssière	....	script
Achim von Borries	....	co-author
Eva Weber	....	laboratory manager
Ulf Israel	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)

Thanks
Sigmund Jähn	....	special thanks
Edda Reiser	....	thanks
Tom Tykwer	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• X-Filme Creative Pool
• Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
• Arte

Distributors

• X Verleih AG (2003) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Germany) (video)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Alfa Films (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• GAGA (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Lady Film (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Océan Films (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• UGC Films (2003) (UK) (theatrical)
• Wanda Visión S.A. (2003) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Gateno Films (2004) (Peru) (all media)
• Homescreen (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Imagem Filmes (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Magic Box (2003) (Czech Republic) (DVD)
• Orlando Films

Special Effects

• Blow Up Film (optical effects)
• Das Werk
• StarCrest Media (special makeup effects)

Other Companies

• Cine Plus  editing facilities
• Deutscher Fernsehfunk (DFF)  archive footage
• Elektrofilm  sound mixing
• Maier Bros Cologne  grip and lighting equipment
• Solid Sound  foley recorded at

Also Known As:

79 qm DDR (Germany) (working title)
Goodbye Lenin! (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for brief language and sexuality.

Runtime:

121 min | Argentina:112 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Colour:

Black and White (archive footage) | Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Ireland:15 (IFCO) | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:M (DVD rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Canada:G (Québec) | Chile:TE | Denmark:7 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:6 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R | Peru:PT | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Alexanderplatz, Mitte, Berlin, Germany

Company:

X-Filme Creative Pool

Trivia:

Sigmund Jähn gave permission to be featured in the movie, but refused to play himself. It was very difficult to find an actor who looked like Jähn and spoke his typical dialect but after filming had begun, Wolfgang Becker chose Swiss actor Stefan Walz. He was given complex make-up and was dubbed by another actor who came from Jähn's home region, the Vogtland.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: A bottle of red Blanchet brand wine is shown, but when the wall came down, there was only Blanchet white wine.

Quotes:

[last lines]
[spoiler]
Alexander Kerner: [voiceover] My mother outlived the GDR by three days. I believe it was a good thing she never learned the truth. She died happy. She wanted us to scatter her ashes to the winds. That's prohibited in Germany, both East and West. But we didn't care.
[launches rocket]
Alexander Kerner: She's up there somewhere now. Maybe looking down at us. Maybe she sees us as tiny specks on the Earth's surface, just like Sigmund Jähn did back then. The country my mother left behind was a country she believed in; a country we kept alive till her last breath; a country that never existed in that form; a country that, in my memory, I will always associate with my mother.

Movie Connections:

Features "Unser Sandmännchen" (1958)

Soundtrack:

Comptine d'Un Autre Été: L'après Midi

clever and amusing comedy

Just as Rip Van Winkle slept through the American Revolution and woke up twenty years later to find himself a citizen of a brand new country, so Kathrin Sass, an East German woman, slips into a coma on the eve of the fall of the Berlin Wall only to wake up eight months later a member of a capitalist society. This is the premise of 'Good Bye Lenin,' a clever and affectionate tale about truth, love and family ties that transcends all national borders and boundaries.

Kathrin, a woman who has dedicated her life to the perpetuation of Communist Party ideology, suffers a major heart attack that plunges her into a comatose state a few months prior to the dissolution of the land she knows as East Germany. While she is 'asleep,' governments tumble, barriers crumble and a whole new tide of Western goods and values comes flooding eastwards to a ravenous, eagerly awaiting public. Then she wakes up. Fearing that the shock of finding such a radically changed world will lead to a second heart attack, her loving son, Alex, devises an elaborate scheme to shield her from the truth and to make her believe that the world she lives in now is the same world she knew eight months before (the basic premise is not that different from the one in 'Jacob the Liar').

'Good Bye Lenin!' is an amusing regional comedy that derives its laughs from two basic sources: the near-slapstick nature of the charade Alex is attempting to perpetrate, and the script's satirical view of a society rushing madly to embrace the joys of unbridled consumerism they have been so long denied. Given its gimmicky premise, 'Good Bye Lenin!' could have emerged as a one-joke comedy were it not for the fine sense of irony and absurdity that writer/director Wolfgang Becker (working with co-writer Bernd Lichtenberg) has brought to the project. In addition, young Daniel Bruhl as Alex and Katrin Sab as Kathrin deliver expert, moving performances that go to the very essence of the mother/child relationship.

I must confess that this film, despite its generally upbeat tone, brings with it a certain rueful sadness that the filmmakers may not exactly have intended. Could it really have been a mere fifteen years ago that the events depicted in this film actually happened - a mere fifteen years ago that the future of the human race seemed so full of joy, hope and promise? Now, in a post 9/11 world - where sectarian hatred and international terrorism rule the day - this image of people coming together to cast off the shackles of bondage and embrace freedom seems already like a quaint memory from the long distant past. In a strange way, the film has become something of a relic in its own time, outstripped by a world that has long since moved on to bigger and more dire concerns. 'Good Bye Lenin' reminds of just how long ago and far away the Cold War really was.