Berlin, Germany

  
Although the film A MOST WANTED MAN is largely set in Hamburg (see Hamburg, Germany), a few scenes were shot in Berlin. The author of the book, John le Carré, worked in both Hamburg and Berlin as a British agent and diplomat..

Brandenburger Gate, Berlin, 4 July 2019

John le Carré was also involved in the production of the movie. In addition to writing the book, he made serveral visits to the set. His sons Simon Cornwell and Stephen Cornwell were producers of the film.
Filming in Berlin in November 2012 took only two days, compared to 38 shooting days in Hamburg. The first scene is a telephone conversation that Michael Axelrod (Herbert Grönemeyer), head of the Secret Service, makes at night.

He drives with his chauffeur on the Straße des 17. Juni with the Brandenburg Gate behind him. This location was undoubtedly chosen to make it immediately clear that this is Berlin.

A Most Wanted Man, 0:16:56

Brandenburger Gate, Berlijn, 1 July 2019

Later in the film, Günther Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his assistant Irna Frey (Nina Hoss), members of an anti-terrorist unit, visit Berlin to meet Axelrod. The Home Office building is actually the Ludwig Erhard Haus, a futuristic-looking building that houses amongst others the Berlin stock exchange. The address of the Ludwig Erhard Haus is Fasanenstraße 85, coincidentally our hotel was also on this street.

A Most Wanted Man, 1:32:57

Ludwig Erhard Haus, Berlin, 29 June 2019

Screenshots © Film4/Demarest Films