Lars Eidinger – To Be or Not To Be

Summary

“Lars Eidinger – To Be or Not To Be” is an intimate documentary portrait of the acclaimed German actor Lars Eidinger, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process that has made him one of contemporary theater and cinema’s most distinctive performers. Rather than presenting a conventional biography, the film follows Eidinger at work, observing him in rehearsals, performances, film settings, and conversations with fellow artists. Eidinger is the documentary’s central figure, but the film also gives space to the directors, actors, and collaborators who help shape his performances. His work in theater—particularly his association with Shakespearean drama and Berlin’s Schaubühne—is placed alongside his screen acting, allowing viewers to compare the demands of live performance with those of filmmaking. The camera captures his preparation, his interactions with other performers, and his willingness to experiment in the moment. A major focus is Eidinger’s improvisational approach and intensely physical style. The documentary explores how he builds a character through movement, voice, instinct, and emotional risk, while also questioning the boundary between disciplined technique and spontaneous invention. His performances can be flamboyant, unsettling, playful, or deeply vulnerable, and the film is interested in how these qualities coexist within his artistic personality. At the same time, the documentary gently challenges the mystique surrounding a celebrated actor. Eidinger emerges not as an unknowable genius but as a restless, curious artist who depends on collaboration, repetition, and constant discovery. The result is both a portrait of an individual performer and an absorbing introduction to the worlds of theater and film. Its central themes include artistic identity, the tension between performance and authenticity, the transformative power of improvisation, and the demanding relationship between an actor’s private self and the public roles he inhabits.