The Lives of Others (2006)

Gerd Wiesler is an officer in the Stasi, the East German secret police. Wiesler believes that Georg Dreyman, a playwright, needs surveillance. The Minister of Culture agrees with him, but then Wiesler learns that he sees Dreyman as a rival and that the latter lusts after Dreyman's partner, Christa-Maria. The more he watches them, the more he worries about them and the more he meddles in their lives. This is a riveting political thriller that never fails to challenge its protagonist.