At the Movies: Prosecution

Faraz Shariat, who first made waves in 2019 with his multiple award-winning, semi-autobiographical feature debut "No Hard Feelings," premiered his latest film, "Prosecution," at the Berlinale in February. There, the new film went on to win three awards: the CICAE Art Cinema Award, the Heiner Carow Prize, and, most notably, the Panorama Audience Award for Best Feature Film. Now, the drama about young prosecutor Seyo Kim is coming to theaters nationwide. Kim sees her profession as a matter of principle –and as an attempt to restore the kind of resolve to the rule of law that is all too often lacking in its response to far-right violence. Working in eastern Germany, she is determined to pursue her investigations without compromise. But when she herself becomes victim of a racist attack, she finds herself drawn into a system that professes neutrality while seeming primarily concerned with protecting itself. Defying the expectations of her own agency, Seyo continues her investigation, uncovering structural blind spots, failures, and the breaches of trust that victims of racist violence have been reporting for years. While "Prosecution" is not directly based on a specific case, Shariat's film addresses events and realities that have long been part of life in Germany. Theater actress Chen Emilie Yan makes her first appearance on screen here, delivering a powerful and nuanced performance as the young prosecutor. Once again, Faraz Shariat shows exactly why he is considered one of the most exciting and fearless voices in contemporary German cinema.