20 German Must-See Movies of the 21st Century

Gegen die Wand , the fourth film by acclaimed Turkish-German director Fatih Akin, is a vibrating masterpiece about the complicated love affair and search for identity of two people who are stuck between two cultures.

Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's insightful drama about the system of observation in the former Eastern Germany. Das Leben der Anderen is a powerful portrait of an opressive society as well as a moving character study.

Michael Haneke's Oscar nominated film Das Weisse Band is a powerful tale about authority, guilt and violence. Shot in spellbinding Black & White, Das Weisse Band depicts family life and society just before the beginning of World War I and serves as a striking analysis of the origins of terrorism.

Nirgendwo in Afrika , Caroline Link's Oscar-winning film, is the story of a Jewish family that emigrates to Kenya during World War II to escape the N***s. Filmed on location in Africa, Nirgendwo in Afrika was well received by critics and received the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2003.

Christian Petzold is one of the most individual directors in Germany. Yella is part of his so-called "Gespenster trilogy", starring one of Germany's best female actors, Nina Hoss.