Der Fall Collini
In Berlin, just three months after passing the bar, lawyer Caspar Leinen (Elyas M’Barek) agrees to defend ageing Italian murderer Fabrizio Collini (Franco Nero). In an unfortunate coincidence, Collini’s victim is German entrepreneur Hans Meyer (Manfred Zapatka), who was like a dad to Caspar growing up. Last year's 'surprise' film at the festival, it picked up the audience award for Best Festival Film - a unique achievement for the mystery film.
To make matters worse, his legal opponent is his former professor, Dr Mattinger (Heiner Lauterbach). There’s a lot of dense plot and legal jargon to compress, but punchy editing ensures the film remains fast-paced and light on its feet.
Unyielding suspense, a noteworthy theme about justice and unjust laws, very professional production elements and a history lesson make ‘The Collini Case’ thoughtfully absorbing cinema.