Germany 2023
Opening February 15, 2023

Directed by: Matthias Freie
rWriting credits: Matthias Freier
Principal actors: Documentary: Constanze Andree, Jens Asmussen, Thomas B.

If you weren’t paying attention, you would think this documentary film could easily have been an episode of the epic German detective series Tatort. The only problem is that it is a true story based on true facts and knowing that it happened in Hamburg where I live gives me chills. Matthias Freier brings justice to the screen by paying tribute to a woman who has been too long overlooked. He follows his mother Marianne Atzeroth-Freier’s (Constanze Andree) career with the Hamburg police department. She was the first woman to join the criminal police department as a detective and had the skills to deal with hard facts, mixed with empathy for the victims. Atzeroth-Freier uses her tough investigative insights in the1990s to uncover one of the most sensational murder cases here in Hamburg. The Säurefassmorde (acid-barrel murders) would never have been solved if she hadn’t been there investigating and thinking outside the box. The storyline is thoughtfully told and is an important part of women’s history. (Shelly S.)