Kehraus (1983)

Fork-lift truck driver Ferdinand Weitel is desperate: he earns just a few deutschmarks a month, and now an unsavoury insurance agent has talked him into signing over expensive contracts.

Arguably, Bavarian comedian Gerhard Polt's best movie is a spot-on social satire, although its humor may not communicate well to audiences outside the region.

Kaltgestellt (1980)

In the late 1970s the German secret service fights against RAF terrorism and searches for constitutional enemies in the public service, and a liberal teacher takes on a V-man and loses his job.

From memory: Committed German political thriller dissecting the country's surveillance tactics, suspenseful with an excellent cast.