The film was released in Germany on 23 March 2006 . At the same time , the screenplay was published by Suhrkamp Verlag . '' The Lives of Others '' won the 2006 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film . The film had earlier won seven Deutscher Filmpreis awards — including those for best film , best director , best screenplay , best actor , and best supporting actor — after setting a new record with 11 nominations . It was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 64th Golden Globe Awards . '' The Lives of Others '' cost US$ 2 million and grossed more than US$ 77 million worldwide Released 17 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall , marking the end of the East German socialist state , it was the first notable drama film about the subject after a series of comedies such as '' Good Bye , Lenin ! '' and '' Sonnenallee '' . This approach was widely applauded in Germany even as some criticized the humanization of Wiesler 's character . Many former East Germans were stunned by the factual accuracy of the film 's set and atmosphere , accurately portraying a state which merged with West Germany and ceased to exist 16 years prior to the release . The film 's authenticity was considered notable , given that the director grew up outside of East Germany and was only 16 when the Berlin Wall fell
64th Golden Globe Awards
64th Golden Globe Awards
The Lives of Others