March 2006 article in Die Welt: "The political tone is authentic, I was moved by the plot. But why? Perhaps I was just won over sentimentally, because of the seductive mass of details which look like they were lifted from my own past between the total ban of my work in 1965 and denaturalisation in 1976." Anna Funder, the author of the book Stasiland, in a review for The Guardian called The Lives of Others a "superb film" despite not being true to reality. She claims that it was not possible for a Stasi operative to have hidden information from superiors because Stasi employees themselves were watched and almost always operated in teams. In a 2016 BBC poll, critics voted the film the 32nd greatest since 2000. According to German author Christoph Hein, the movie is loosely based on his life story. In a 2019 article, he recalls that Donnersmarck interviewed him in 2002, and that his name was mentioned in the opening credits at the premiere screening. However, in Hein's opinion the highly dramatized events of the movie bear little resemblance to his life experience, which is why he asked Donnersmarck to delete his name from the credits. In Hein's words, "the movie does not depict the 1980s in the GDR", but is a "scary tale taking place in a fantasy land, comparable to Tolkien's Middle-earth." Awards and honors The film and its principals have won numerous awards. Among the most prestigious are: 79th Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film 61st British Academy Film Awards Best Film Not in the English Language César Awards Best Foreign Film European Film Awards Best Film Best Actor: Ulrich Mühe Best Screenwriter: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck German Film Awards Best Film Best Actor Best Supporting Actor Best Director Best Cinematography Best Production Design Best Screenplay Bavarian Film Awards 2006 Best Actor: Ulrich Mühe Best Newcomer Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Best Screenplay: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Vilnius International Film Festival The Audience Award The Lives of Others also appeared on many critics' lists of the ten best films of 2007. 1st: James Berardinelli, ReelViews 1st: Shawn Levy, The Oregonian 2nd: Empire 2nd: Marjorie Baumgarten, The Austin Chronicle 2nd: Michael Sragow, The Baltimore Sun 2nd: Richard Corliss, TIME magazine 3rd: Rene Rodriguez, The Miami Herald 4th: David Ansen, Newsweek 4th: Stephen Holden, The New York Times 5th: Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times 5th: Richard