THE PUNISHMENT - A LIGHT BLUE DAY

TV Mini-Series, Episode 5, Germany, 2022
Director: David Wnendt
Production Company: Moovie GmbH / Constantin Film

Synopsis
An engrossing exploration of using critical reasoning to counter prejudice and generalizations.

A judicial scandal erupts in the fictional small town of Ottern when a pediatrician discovers evidence that a girl has been raped. Twenty-six local residents are charged with abuse and involvement in a child pornography ring. Some individuals argue forcefully for the reinstatement of the death penalty as accusations fly back and forth. The screenplay for this series, written by author and former criminal defense lawyer Ferdinand von Schirach, was inspired by a series of trials held in Worms, Germany, in the 1990s. As an experiment, he transposes the horrifying events of that time to the present day, which not least means questioning the state of the increasingly polarized society we live in today.