The Fourth State

The Fourth State (original title: Die vierte Macht) is a 2012 German psychological thriller and spy film written and directed by Dennis Gansel. Its title alludes to the "fourth estate", the power of the press. The film premiered in Germany on 8 March 2012 and was developed under the working title The Year of the Snake.

The story follows Paul Jensen, a successful German journalist who moves to Moscow to escape personal troubles and quickly rises as the society editor of a popular magazine. When Katja, a woman he is drawn to, dies in a political bombing, Paul is accused of ties to terrorists and must prove his innocence to the Russian justice system. Moritz Bleibtreu leads a cast that includes Kasia Smutniak, Max Riemelt, Rade Šerbedžija and Mark Ivanir, and the film was among the German Film Awards nominees.