Movies like Barbara
If you like "Barbara" you are looking for tense, melancholic and compassionate movies about / with doctor, escape, stasi, cold war, fascism, lovers apart and iron curtain themes of Drama genre shot in Germany.
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1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below).
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Barbara (2012)
17K
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
It is the summer of 1980 in East Germany and, alone, Barbara is confined to living and working as a doctor in a small provincial town - her punishment for attempting to emigrate to the West. She has only one focus; to escape and for this, she has to wait patiently. Until Andre, her supervisor in the hospital, takes her off course. Are his motives of love or duty to the authorities? The day-to-day pretense, and content supervision slowly take their toll as the tension builds.
Style:
tense, melancholic, compassionate, atmospheric, psychological, sincere, realistic, philosophical, political, existential ...
Plot:
doctor, escape, stasi, cold war, fascism, lovers apart, iron curtain, communism, introspection, character study, power relations, secret service, life is a bitch, society, who to trust, doctors and patients, hospital, spy, medicine, dictator, small town, female protagonist, nurse, pregnant teenager, suicide attempt ...
Time:
80s, 70s, 20th century, year 1980
Place:
east germany, germany, berlin germany, german democratic republic, northern germany, europe, california ...
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to Barbara
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out serious, realistic, melancholic and tense films with plots about berlin wall, hospital, stasi, dialogue, friendship, society and catastrophe mostly in Drama, Thriller and History genres. Some movies like Barbara: The Lives of Others (2006), Phoenix (2014), 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007), West (2013), The State I Am In (2000). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Germany, France
Duration: 137 min.
Story:
A tragic love story set in East Berlin with the backdrop of an undercover Stasi controlled culture. Stasi captain Wieler is ordered to follow author Dreyman and plunges deeper and deeper into his life until he reaches the threshold of doubting the ...
Style:
gloomy, political thriller, sincere, political, emotional ...
Audience:
date night, adult
Plot:
surveillance, cold war, spy, communism, berlin wall, stasi, politics, redemption, espionage, iron curtain, life philosophy, voyeurism ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, year 1989, 2000s, 90s ...
Place:
east germany, germany, berlin germany, europe, soviet union ...
Similarity:
100%
22K
Genre: Drama, History, Music, Romance
Country: Germany, Poland
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
A disfigured concentration-camp survivor, unrecognizable after facial reconstruction surgery, searches ravaged postwar Berlin for the husband who might have betrayed her to the Nazis.
Style:
psychological, atmospheric, noir, neo noir, social ...
Plot:
husband wife relationship, world war two, nazi, hospital, brutality, holocaust, haunted by the past, genocide, surgery, survivor, violence against women, holocaust survivor ...
Time:
1940s, year 1943, 20th century, year 1938, year 1944 ...
Place:
europe, berlin germany, west germany, switzerland, tel aviv israel ...
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Drama
Country: Romania, Netherlands
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
Gabita is pregnant, abortion is strictly forbidden in Romania during the communist regime. Despite this it is common practice and Gabita wants an abortion. The movie follows her and her friend Otilia during the day she has made the appointment with ...
Style:
disturbing, bleak, sexy, tense, melancholic ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
abortion, friendship, sexual abuse, unwanted pregnancy, rape, communism, communist, realism, doctor, brutality, female pubic hair, female nudity ...
Time:
80s, year 2007, 2000s, year 1987, 20th century
Place:
romania, eastern europe, transylvania, europe, california
Similarity:
100%
1K
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
East Germany. Summer, late 70's. Three years after her boyfriend Wassilij's apparent death, Nelly Senff decides to escape from behind the Berlin wall with her son Alexej, leaving her traumatic memories and past behind. Pretending to marry ...
Style:
realistic, serious, touching, captivating, gloomy
Plot:
hopes, cold war, immigrant, starting over, social decay, family relations, coming of age, society, haunted by the past, friendship, love triangle, freedom ...
Time:
70s, 20th century
Place:
germany, europe, east germany, german democratic republic, west germany ...
Similarity:
100%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
With 1970s Germany in the background, this film depicts the story of a family from the “R.A.F. Terrorist” group and their search for a normal life and their inner self.
Style:
sentimental, serious, realistic, sincere, political ...
Audience:
teens, pre-teens
Plot:
coming of age, grownups, youth, love and romance, family problems, family relations, teenage love, parent child relationship, puberty, fall in love, eccentric family, family in crisis ...
Time:
20th century, 90s
Place:
germany, portugal, europe, brazil
Similarity:
100%
12K
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
A renowned professor is forced to reassess her life when she is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer.
Style:
sincere, depressing, touching, sentimental, contemplative ...
Plot:
hospital, cancer, medical, doctor, poetry, chemotherapy, hopes, dying, nurse, terminal illness, philosophy, regret ...
Time:
20th century
Place:
usa
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 116 min.
Story:
In this vivid historical drama set in 1980s East Germany, two dockworkers and best friends who dream of escaping the repressive regime are forced to choose their loyalties when the state police promise them safe passage out of the country — if ...
Style:
realistic, serious, suspenseful, captivating, tense
Plot:
friendship, ambition, relationship vs career, dishonesty, moral dilemma, danger, betrayal, investigation, snitch, dictatorship, dictator, boyfriend girlfriend relationship ...
Time:
80s, 20th century
Place:
germany, east germany, german democratic republic
Similarity:
25%
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
Philipp Gerber is a smart, but self-satisfied car salesman. In an inattentive moment at the wheel of his car, he runs over a boy on a bike and, instead of helping him, he drives away. As he has feelings of guilt, he tries to find out more about the ...
Style:
melancholic, emotional, bleak, crime drama, tense ...
Plot:
guilt, hit and run, accident, suicide attempt, tragedy, loss, death, moral dilemma, conscience, character study, motherhood, cover up ...
Place:
germany
Similarity:
24%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
The Turkish diaspora in Germany proves the catalyst for this noir-flavored drama concerning the unlikely friendship between a veteran of the Afghan-Soviet war and a middle-aged Turk in need of a helping hand.
Style:
tense, realistic, serious, touching, suspense ...
Plot:
abusive husband, forbidden love, immigrant, couples, dangerous attraction, crimes of passion, estrangement, couple relations, love and romance, dishonesty, life is a bitch, woman in danger ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
germany, europe
Similarity:
22%
652
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 180 min.
Story:
Adapted from an award-winning best-selling book by Uwe Tellkamp, 'The Tower' depicts a higher class family’s struggles during crumbling communist rule in 1980’s East Germany. It illustrates the weaknesses and pending downfall of the ...
Style:
tense, historical drama, disturbing, captivating, suspense ...
Plot:
double life, stasi, cold war, communism, repression, secret police, family drama, social problems, family problems, political unrest, fear, family secret ...
Time:
80s
Place:
east germany, german democratic republic
Similarity:
21%
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany, France
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
Ingo Hasselbach, whose parents were Communist Party members in East Germany during his childhood, has lived at both ends of the political seesaw. The question of how people reach a change of heart is a profound one; Hasselbach describes the external ...
Style:
serious, disturbing, suspenseful, realistic, tense ...
Plot:
prison, fascism, neo nazi, berlin wall, racism, neo nazism, homosexual rape, teenage boy, friendship, moral dilemma, politics, youth ...
Time:
80s, 90s, 20th century
Place:
germany, german democratic republic, east germany, europe
Similarity:
21%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 122 min.
Story:
Jack McKee is a doctor with it all: he's successful, he's rich, and he has no problems.... until he is diagnosed with throat cancer. Now that he has seen medicine, hospitals, and doctors from a patient's perspective, he realises that ...
Style:
psychological, emotional, sentimental, touching, depressing ...
Audience:
chick flick
Plot:
hospital, medical, cancer, doctor, medicine, redemption, health, doctors and patients, coldhearted, surgery, business, mental health ...
Time:
90s, 20th century
Place:
san francisco
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 186 min.
Story:
The Berlin wall separated families and friends for 28 years. Some accepted it, and some worked hard to make it fall.
Style:
heartbreaking, historical drama, emotional, tension, melancholic
Audience:
adult
Plot:
berlin wall, german reunification, spy, separation, freedom, family drama, hopes, cold war, nostalgia, political activism, resilience, oppression ...
Time:
80s, year 1989
Place:
west berlin west germany, germany, east germany, german democratic republic, berlin germany ...
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
A lighthearted look at the opening of the border crossing of Bornholmer Straße in Berlin from the point of view of the confused border guards.
Style:
tense, humorous, captivating, light, satirical ...
Plot:
berlin wall, propaganda, cold war, border crossing, society, friendship, rivalry, social change, iron curtain, bureaucracy, satire, political satire ...
Time:
year 1989
Place:
german democratic republic, germany, east germany
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Drama
Country: West Germany, USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
American judge in Germany must decide if the hijacking of an East German plane into West Berlin was justified.
Style:
realistic, serious, suspense, touching, sincere ...
Plot:
terrorism, justice, politics, hijacking, courtroom drama, legal action, legal, culture clash, confined, danger, save the day, husband wife relationship ...
Time:
70s
Place:
germany, europe, east berlin, berlin germany, west berlin west germany ...
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Drama
Country: France, Germany
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
A woman struggles to interact with her family and find her place in society after spending fifteen years in prison.
Style:
touching, realistic, sincere, psychological, heartbreaking ...
Plot:
family drama, redemption, prison, character study, physician, job seeking, honest, parenthood, complex characters, loss of son, sibling relationship, estrangement ...
Time:
year 2008, 90s, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
france, europe, paris france
Similarity:
19%
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: Germany
Duration: 167 min.
Story:
Inspired by true events, Olympic swimmer Harry Melchior defects from East Germany in the 1960s and hatches a daring plot to help his sister and others flee East Berlin through a 145-yard underground tunnel.
Style:
suspense, suspenseful, political, compassionate, captivating ...
Plot:
berlin wall, tunnel, politics, communism, breast feeding, political unrest, cold war, wartime, heroes, danger, daring rescue, prison escape ...
Time:
ancient times, 60s, year 2001
Place:
east germany, germany, berlin germany, west berlin west germany, german democratic republic ...
Similarity:
19%
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany, France
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
Nina, an end-of-teenage orphan with mental problems, starts a new job as a garden cleaner when she meets Toni. They fell in love with each other, but soon Toni starts betraying Nina. In the meantime, Francoise is picked up at a psychic department of ...
Style:
romantic drama, melancholic, poignant, art house, serious ...
Audience:
teens, pre-teens
Plot:
lesbian teen, coming of age, lesbian, lgbtq, mistaken identity, loneliness, alienation, mental health, betrayal, mother daughter relationship, delusion, identity crisis ...
Time:
2000s
Place:
berlin germany, germany
Similarity:
19%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany, France
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
Andreas Dresen's adaptation of Clemens Meyer's novel about a group of East German friends right after the fall of the Wall.
Style:
realistic, serious, captivating, disturbing, sincere ...
Plot:
friends, unfulfillment, teenage boy, nightlife, lifestyle, freedom, coming of age, little boy, subculture, techno, stasi, berlin wall ...
Time:
80s, 90s, 20th century
Place:
germany, east germany
Similarity:
19%
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
In September 1989, more and more GDR citizens fled to the West German embassy in Prague. Among them were Stefan and Bettina, who were spending their honeymoon in Czechoslovakia. When Stefan briefly returns to the GDR to fetch their young son, he ...
Style:
historical drama, emotional, tense, period piece, political drama ...
Plot:
iron curtain, cold war, desperation, siege, border crossing, desertion, claustrophobia, moral dilemma, social realism, solidarity, civil unrest, mistrust ...
Time:
80s
Place:
east germany, prague, czechoslovakia
Similarity:
18%
Genre: Drama
Country: Belgium, France, Italy
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
Sandra is a young woman who has only one weekend to convince her colleagues they must give up their bonuses in order for her to keep her job — not an easy task in this economy.
Style:
sincere, independent film, depressing, serious, cerebral ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
depression, injustice, unemployment, working class, female protagonist, solidarity, loss of job, workplace, employer employee relationship, guilt, poverty, moral dilemma ...
Time:
year 2014, 90s, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
france, belgium, ethiopia, europe
Similarity:
18%
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: Germany, France, Switzerland
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
East-Berlin, 1961, shortly after the erection of the Wall. Konrad, Sophie and three of their friends plan a daring escape to Western Germany. The attempt is successful, except for Konrad, who remains behind. From then on, and for the next 28 years, ...
Style:
realistic, emotional, sincere, sentimental, touching ...
Plot:
politics, berlin wall, spy, impossible love, cold war, cold war era, crisis, iron curtain, stasi, anti communism, fall in love, love and romance ...
Time:
80s, 60s, 1920s
Place:
germany, east germany, berlin germany, prague, europe ...
Similarity:
18%
Genre: Drama
Country: UK, Germany
Duration: 76 min.
Story:
Berlin. Night. An old, homeless drunk stumbles down the street. Ignored by everyone - almost everyone. A woman suddenly appears in front of him - mid-thirties, thin, a drug addict. She stands face-to-face for the first time in years with the man she ...
Style:
bleak, tense, intense, atmospheric, melancholic ...
Plot:
night, desperation, isolation, alienation, estrangement, secrets, homelessness, confrontation, survival, realism, regret, loss ...
Place:
berlin germany, german democratic republic, germany, east germany
Similarity:
18%
Movie in collections
11K
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
At the behest of an old and dear friend, playwright Lillian Hellman undertakes a dangerous mission to smuggle funds into Nazi Germany.
Style:
factual, captivating, realistic, atmospheric, political ...
Audience:
girls' night, chick flick
Plot:
writers, politics, world war two, fascism, friendship, culture clash, childhood, nazi, playwright, adaptation, character study, political unrest ...
Time:
20th century, 1930s, year 1977, pre world war two, year 1934 ...
Place:
germany, europe, moscow russia, warsaw poland, paris france ...
Similarity:
18%
164
Genre: Drama
Country: France, Germany
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
After studying in Paris, the young doctor François moves to Beauval, where single-family houses are lined up monotonously. He quickly becomes the focus of a group of young people, led by the charismatic Cédric and Matthieu, his assistant. The gang ...
Style:
serious, psychological, tense, realistic, atmospheric ...
Plot:
mind game, mysterious character, teenage life, danger, gang, youth, juvenile delinquency, social relations, life is a bitch, woman, teenager, power relations ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
france, europe
Similarity:
18%
63K
Genre: Drama
Country: Poland, Denmark, France, UK
Duration: 82 min.
Story:
Anna, a young novitiate in 1960s Poland, is on the verge of taking her vows when she discovers a family secret dating back to the years of the German occupation.
Style:
art house, emotional, visually stunning, cerebral, melancholic ...
Plot:
nun, family secret, faith, world war two, anti semitism, judaism, holocaust, religion, suicide, character study, confronting the past, orphan ...
Time:
60s, post world war two, 2010s, year 2016, 90s ...
Place:
poland, eastern europe, israel, europe, denmark
Similarity:
18%
110K
Genre: Drama
Country: France, Germany, Austria
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
Georges and Anne are in their eighties. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, who is also a musician, lives abroad with her family. One day, Anne has a stroke, and the couple's bond of love is severely tested.
Style:
philosophical, reflective, sincere, sad, art house ...
Plot:
death, elderly, old couple, aging, elderly lovers, life & death, husband wife relationship, life philosophy, daughter, love, illness, old love ...
Time:
year 2012, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
paris france, germany, nebraska, france
Similarity:
18%
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany, UK
Duration: 119 min.
Story:
A young engineer is sent to post-WWII Berlin to help the Americans in spying on the Russians. In a time and place where discretion is still a man’s best friend, he falls in love with a mysterious woman who will take him on the dark side of evil.
Style:
sexual, sexy, political thriller, independent film, exciting ...
Plot:
spy, cold war, berlin wall, crisis, iron curtain, stasi, covert operation, cold war era, cavalry, couples, fall in love, espionage ...
Time:
year 1993, 50s, post world war two, 1950s
Place:
germany, europe, england, berlin germany
Similarity:
18%
276K
Genre: Drama
Country: Iran, France, Australia
Duration: 123 min.
Story:
A married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.
Style:
emotional, realistic, heartbreaking, crying, talky ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
divorce, muslim, poverty, alzheimer's disease, marriage, court, marital problem, hospital, religion, islam, justice, pregnancy ...
Time:
year 2011, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
iran, persia, nebraska, maghreb, middle east ...
Similarity:
18%
80
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
A hotel. A cliff. Six lost people, looking for something, or looking to lose themselves.
Style:
realistic, serious, psychological, atmospheric, contemplative ...
Plot:
hotel, human nature, haunted by the past, couples, introspection, self discovery, society, isolation, loss, confined, character study, uncertainty ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
england
Similarity:
17%
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