It’squitehardtosaywhatmyfavouritemovieisbecausetherearequiteafewtochoosefrom!ButIwouldsaythattheonethatmadethestrongestimpressiononmeisaGermanfilmcalled‘TheLivesofOthers’.

　　ThisfilmissetincommunistEastGermany,shortlybeforethefalloftheBerlinWall.Atthattime,theStasi,theEastGermansecretpolice,usedtospyonallkindsofpeople.ThetwomaincharactersinthefilmareaplaywrightcalledDreymanandaStasispycalledWeisler,whosejobitistokeepDreymanunder24hoursurveillance.WeislerissupposedtobereportingbacktohissuperiorsattheStasiinordertodiscredittheplaywright.However,hedevelopsastrongsympathyfortheplaywrightandhisgirlfriend,anddeterminestoprotectthembynotreportinganythingsignificant.ThescenesinthefilmwhereitcutsfromthecolourfulandinterestinglivesofDreymanandhisfriendstothelonelyatticwhereWeislerissittingreallyshowthecontrastbetweenthetwomen.ThefilmisshotinsuchawaythatitmakesyoubelieveyouarealsospyingonDreyman,itevenmademefeelabitguilty!

　　Ilikethisfilmbecauseithasfascinating,3-dimensionalcharacters,andalsotheplothasplentyoftwists.Rightupuntiltheendofthefilm,weareleftguessinghowitcouldpossiblyend.Itisalsoverythought-provokingbecauseitmakesyouwonderhowmanypeopleworkingfortheStasiactuallydidprotectthepeopletheywerespyingon.

　　Asforthemessageitgives,Iwouldsaythemainmessageisthatwecanfindkindnessandhumanityinthemostunexpectedofplaces.Thefilmmakesusrealisethatnothingiseverblackandwhite!Thefilmalsoservesasawarningaboutthedangersofanoppressive,paranoidregimeandisperhapsquitepertinentinthiscurrentageofmasssurveillance.