Jakob Benkhofer

Tatort is a long-running German/Austrian/Swiss crime television series set in various parts of these countries. The show is broadcast on the channels of ARD in Germany, ORF in Austria and SF1 in Switzerland.

Shows the interaction between Hamburg police officers and paramedics.

Frank Koops is a police officer in the small mountain town of St. Andreasberg in the Harz Mountains, which is usually quite tranquil. He is known in his area with his green Lada Niva and everything seems to be going well. But crime also penetrates into these hidden corners. Koops masters challenges in his very own, calm way and his criminalistic qualities are always underestimated by the criminals. His specific local knowledge is also an advantage. He is friends with the postman Heiner Kelzenberg and his young colleague Mette Vogt from the neighboring town of Braunlage. Both are important helpers in an emergency.

In 1916, the officer of the German secret service Elsbeth Schragmüller trains the end-of-career exotic dancer Mata Hari as secret agent. Schragmüller has finally an ear directly in the influential circles of Paris, while Mata Hari can uphold her mundane life despite lack of engagements. Both have great hope for this intelligence mission.

Claudia Voss, honorary mayoress, is presented with a fait accompli when her Southern German district decides to build a refugee centre in her town. Some of the population are fuming and resistance grows, but there are equal amounts of willingness to help and empathy. Unexpectedly, the committed wife and mother attracts the attention of right-wing circles and faces attempts to intimidate her. The more Claudia Voss tries to mediate, the stronger the hostility becomes. A gripping contemporary thriller which paints a nuanced picture of the challenges brought by an increasingly polarized political reality. No exception, but instead a widespread, alarming phenomenon in today’s democratic societies.