Never Look Away

2018 3h 8m DE

🙌

7.7

BANGER

★7.7TMDB · 779

DramaRomanceHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

German artist Kurt Barnert has escaped East Germany and now lives in West Germany, but is tormented by his childhood under the Nazis and the GDR regime.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Tom Schilling
Kurt Barnert
Sebastian Koch
Carl Seeband
Paula Beer
Ellie
Saskia Rosendahl
Elisabeth May
Oliver Masucci
Antonius van Verten
Cai Cohrs
Six-Year-Old Kurt Barnert
Ina Weisse
Martha Seeband
Evgeniy Sidikhin
Major Murawjow

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Writers: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Languages: German, Russian
Countries: Germany, Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

At 188 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 27% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 8 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, Russian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Germany, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, shot by Caleb Deschanel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Max Richter. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Patricia Rommel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck directs. Caleb Deschanel behind the camera. Max Richter scores. Patricia Rommel cuts. A long sit — settle in. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Germany, Italy. Dialogue in German, Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1At 188 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.
2Earned back only 27% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 8 years ago.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, Russian.
5International production across 2 countries: Germany, Italy.
6Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, shot by Caleb Deschanel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Max Richter. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Patricia Rommel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Tom Schilling and Sebastian Koch and Paula Beer carry the top of the cast.
10IMDB entry: tt5311542 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Released under 28 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Caleb Deschanel
Original score: Max Richter
Editing: Patricia Rommel
Production design: Silke Buhr
Costume design: Gabriele Binder
Makeup / hair: Maurizio Silvi
Sound: Michael Kranz
Runtime: 188 min · 3h 8m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $18,000,000
Box office: $4,831,836
Return: 27% of budget
Original language: DE
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Never Look Away (2018)

Awards

Leiden International Film Festival
Bavarian Film Awards

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

SWITCH.2019-06-12
★ 10/10
An amazing return to directorial form, ‘Never Look Away’ is a novelistic, epic film that appears to constantly shapeshift in front of our eyes. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck has created the rare kind of work where politics, history, art and love collide into an almost operatic crescendo. Like the title suggests, it’s riveting viewing. - Jake Watt Read Jake's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-never-look-away-an-artistic-and-spiritual-epic Head to https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/sff for more Sydney Film Festival reviews.

Production companies