The Architects (1990): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1990, The Architects is a drama film directed by Peter Kahane, running about 102 minutes.

What it’s about. The architect Daniel Brenner is in his late thirties when he receives his first challenging and lucrative commission: to design a cultural center for a satellite town in East-Berlin. He accepts the offer under the condition that he gets to choose who he works with. This way, he reunites with former colleagues and friends - most of them architects or students of architecture who have since chosen a different profession due to personal restraint or economic confinement. Together, they develop a concept which they hope will be more appealing to the public than the conventional and dull constructions common to the German Democratic Republic. However, their ambitious plans are once and again foiled by their conservative supervisors. As frustration grows, Daniel has trouble keeping his career in balance with his family-life: his wife Wanda wants to leave for West-Germany.

Who’s in it. The Architects stars Kurt Naumann as Daniel Brenner, Rita Feldmeier as Wanda Brenner, Uta Eisold as Renate Reese and Werner Dissel as Alter, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.8/10, The Architects has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Architects page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Architects tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.