The startling resurgence in German cinema continues with the brilliant new film The Lives of Others. As was the case with Downfall, The Lives of Others goes to the very heart of recent German history, this time tackling the East German secret police, the dreaded Stasi. Party-loyalist Captain Gerd Wiesler hopes to boost his career when given the job of collecting evidence against the playwright Georg Dreyman and his girlfriend, the celebrated theatre actress Christa-Maria Sieland. After all, the "operation" is backed by the highest political circle and Georg would be a considerable scalp. They wire and bug Georg's apartment so that they can hear every conversation and track every move. Gerd is obsessed with finding evidence against Georg, but over time he can't help but start to like the playwright - he realises he is a decent, intelligent man who truly loves his country and his girlfriend. After months of surveillance Gerd begins to change. His immersion in the lives of others - in love, literature, free thinking and speech - makes Wiesler acutely aware of the meagreness of his own existence and opens him to a completely new way of life. So when Georg begins to plan a resistance, Gerd doesn't arrest him but instead begins to secretly help him by sending out warnings and covering his tracks. Tense, taut and brilliantly written, The Lives of Others follows in the footsteps of Hidden and The Conversation. Its twists and turns will keep you on the edge of your seat and the ending will leave you breathless.