Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Of 2025Holiday Watch GuideGotham AwardsCelebrity PhotosSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

Lea

  • 1996
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
518
YOUR RATING
Lea (1996)
DramaRomance

51-year-old Herbert Strehlow, a furniture restorer, falls in love with 21-year-old Lea, who has not spoken a word since childhood when her father killed her mother. She bears a striking rese... Read all51-year-old Herbert Strehlow, a furniture restorer, falls in love with 21-year-old Lea, who has not spoken a word since childhood when her father killed her mother. She bears a striking resemblance to Herbert's dead wife. They get married, but their relationship seems doomed, unt... Read all51-year-old Herbert Strehlow, a furniture restorer, falls in love with 21-year-old Lea, who has not spoken a word since childhood when her father killed her mother. She bears a striking resemblance to Herbert's dead wife. They get married, but their relationship seems doomed, until gradually each one manages to penetrate the mysterious world of the other, and they beg... Read all

  • Director
    • Ivan Fíla
  • Writers
    • Ivan Fíla
    • Lubomír Feldek
  • Stars
    • Lenka Vlasáková
    • Christian Redl
    • Hanna Schygulla
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.3/10
    518
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Ivan Fíla
    • Writers
      • Ivan Fíla
      • Lubomír Feldek
    • Stars
      • Lenka Vlasáková
      • Christian Redl
      • Hanna Schygulla
    • 8User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 14 wins & 11 nominations total

    Photos3

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top Cast16

    Edit
    Lenka Vlasáková
    Lenka Vlasáková
    • Lea
    Christian Redl
    Christian Redl
    • Strehlow
    Hanna Schygulla
    Hanna Schygulla
    • Wanda
    Miroslav Donutil
    Miroslav Donutil
    • Gregor Palty
    Udo Kier
    Udo Kier
    • Block
    Gerd Lohmeyer
    • Postmaster
    Tereza Vetrovská
    • Young Lea
    Ivan Gogál
    Ivan Gogál
    • Father of Lea
    • (as Ivo Gogál)
    Klára Jirsáková
    • Mother of Lea
    Oliver Stritzel
    Oliver Stritzel
    • Doctor
    Herman van Ulzen
    Herman van Ulzen
    • Administrator
    Zuzana Krónerová
    Zuzana Krónerová
    • Beata Paltyova
    Sona Valentová
    Sona Valentová
    • Doctor
    Mojmír Kucera
    • Jakub
    Ján Melkovic
    • Station-master
    Stano Danciak
    • Hotel-keeper
    • Director
      • Ivan Fíla
    • Writers
      • Ivan Fíla
      • Lubomír Feldek
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews8

    7.3518
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    1lemagicienbergier

    Utter nonsense!!!

    This movie is totally deceitful depiction of life in Slovakia in that time, i am shocked czech director could have make something this deformed and mendacious. Shame, shame, shame. Disgusted.
    6petshop

    Over-rated

    A "the Piano-esque" story of a young Slovakian woman who witnesses and experiences terrible things. It is also a love story.

    While beautiful and idyllically paced, much of the story simply seems too familiar. Eventually beauty tames the beast, and true love evolves from abuse. But at just a moment too late...

    The overdramatic and sometimes downright annoying score (you'll hear glass shatter about 10 times a minute) labriously bog down what otherwise may have been a beautiful film.
    10elise-aymer

    Quiet yet powerful movie - you'll remember long after you've seen it

    I saw this movie late one night long after I should have gone to bed. I didn't expect much since there is a lot of drivel on at that time of night, but was very pleasantly surprised. This is a quiet film. There are no bombs, car wrecks or much in the way of sweaty bodies here. There isn't even much dialogue - body language and glances often do the talking.

    The film's focus is instead its characters. The title character and the man she finds herself married to are both extremely complex, interesting personalities. Lea, is a remarkable blend of frail beauty and incredible strength. Since abuse (cycles of it) and loss (also cycles of it) are strong themes in "Lea" the film is sometimes emotionally hard to deal with, but because everything is so beautifully acted and directed I found that I couldn't turn away. Definitely worth watching.
    dmihic

    Intoxicating

    This is a very sad yet strangely intoxicating film. My eyes dried out because I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. You never know whether Lea's story will turn for the better or the worse. She is a very sad soul that you just want to scoop up and take care and hope that Mr.Strehlow will do the same despite his unorthodox methods. Although we have seen Lea's story before, this German-Slovak perspective should not be missed.
    ping-2

    Talk of melancholy and the infinite sadness...

    I have never seen a sadder movie in my life. This is a tragic story of a very special person who lives the harshest existence film may have ever seen. This story is a genuine poem into itself. It feels like an old story because it is. It reminds us that woman have suffered this kind of abuse for thousands of years and still do today. Take a chance and go see it. There is some happiness in a strange and poetic way.

    Bring some tissue and a sweater, this film is cold.

    7 bucks out of 8

    More like this

    Strangers in Good Company
    7.6
    Strangers in Good Company
    Goldflocken
    7.1
    Goldflocken
    Lili Marleen
    7.1
    Lili Marleen
    A Trick of Light
    6.9
    A Trick of Light
    Narcissus and Psyche
    7.2
    Narcissus and Psyche
    Johnny Walker
    7.2
    Johnny Walker
    Lola
    7.4
    Lola
    Pigs Will Fly
    6.9
    Pigs Will Fly
    Holly
    6.7
    Holly
    The Painted Bird
    7.3
    The Painted Bird
    Modigliani
    7.2
    Modigliani
    Stingers
    6.6
    Stingers

    Related interests

    Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, André Holland, Herman Caheej McGloun, Edson Jean, Alex R. Hibbert, and Tanisha Cidel in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Connections
      Featured in The 55th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1998)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 22, 1997 (Czech Republic)
    • Countries of origin
      • Czech Republic
      • Germany
      • France
    • Languages
      • Slovak
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Леа
    • Production companies
      • Ivan Fila Filmproduktion
      • Avista Film
      • Barrandov Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $31,071
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $914
      • Sep 29, 2000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 40m(100 min)
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby SR
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.