Barbara

2012 1h 45m DE

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 371

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Exiled to a rural clinic in 1980s East Germany for seeking an exit visa, a disillusioned doctor maintains a guarded distance from her colleagues, unsure if the kindly head physician is a genuine ally or a Stasi informant.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Nina Hoss
Barbara
Ronald Zehrfeld
André
Rainer Bock
Klaus Schütz
Christina Hecke
Assistenzärztin Schulze
Claudia Geisler-Bading
Stationsschwester Schlösser
Peter Weiss
Medizinstudent
Carolin Haupt
Medizinstudentin
Deniz Petzold
Angelo

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Christian Petzold
Writers: Christian Petzold, Harun Farocki
Languages: German
Countries: Germany

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 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Released 14 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Christian Petzold, shot by Hans Fromm. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Nina Hoss and Ronald Zehrfeld and Rainer Bock carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2178941 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Christian Petzold directs. Hans Fromm behind the camera. Stefan Will scores. Bettina Böhler cuts. Produced in Germany. Dialogue in German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 14 years ago.
2Directed by Christian Petzold, shot by Hans Fromm. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Stefan Will. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Bettina Böhler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Nina Hoss and Ronald Zehrfeld and Rainer Bock carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt2178941 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Hans Fromm
Original score: Stefan Will
Editing: Bettina Böhler
Production design: Klaus-Dieter Gruber
Costume design: Anette Guther
Makeup / hair: Barbara Kreuzer
Sound: Dominik Schleier
Runtime: 105 min · 1h 45m
Status: Released
Box office: $6,889,185
Original language: DE
IMDB: Barbara (2012)

Awards

German Film Award for Best Feature Film

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

Also by

Christian Petzold

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2026-05-20
★ 7/10
"Barbara" (Nina Hoss) makes the mistake of asking for an exit visa from East Germany and as a reward is posted to a remote rural clinic where despite the warm welcome of her boss "André" (Ronald Zehrfeld) she remains wary of her new surroundings. Convinced that the dreaded Stasi are behind every bush and monitoring every call, she tries to continue her clandestine affair with a west Berliner whilst planning a moment when she can abscond to the safety of Denmark. What she hadn't bargained on was her own gradually developing affinity with her new patients; especially the vulnerable young "Stella" (Jasna Fritzi Bauer) who most certainly hasn't her problems to seek. Perhaps now might be a time for "Barbara" to reconsider her plan, or perhaps escape cannot come a moment too soon? The rustic setting is really quite fitting for this quite penetrating story of not just oppressive state control and intervention, but also of characters who could barely trust their own reflections or, increasingly, their own judgements. These burgeoning conflicts are made all the more difficult as the human effects of her new job impact not just on "Barbara" but on many of those around her. Hoss is a master of the casual glance and the gentle inflexion, and partnered with some well aimed dialogue and solid support from Zehrfeld delivers her conflicted character strongly. That much of this takes place amidst the hours of darkness helps too as Christian Petzold uses the shadows, the creaking forestry, the sounds of the sea and the hyper-observant populace to create quite an effective sense of menace as this plot unfolds as recently as a 1980s that's unrecognisable nowadays. I hope.

Production companies