Murder Case Zernik
(Leichensache Zernik)
Leichensache Zernik © DEFA-Stiftung, Frank Bredow, Peter Dietrich and Waltraut Pathenheimer
| Nitzschke, Helmut |
| Langbein, Dorit |
| Nitzschke, Helmut |
| Klein, Gerhard |
| Kohlhaase, Wolfgang |
| Nitzschke, Helmut |
| Plötner, Joachim |
| Pfeuffer, Anne |
| Carow, Evelyn |
| Neumann, Claus |
| Kranz, Georg |
| Sickert, Eva |
| Becker, Klaus |
| Becker, Waltraud |
| Hosalla, Hans-Dieter |
| Grieschat, Herbert |
| Boeden, Ute |
| Böwe, Kurt |
| Christian, Norbert |
| Gütschow, Gert |
| Haase, Annemone |
| Hardt-Hardtloff, Hans |
| Hoppe, Rolf |
| Kraus, Agnes |
| Lang, Alexander |
| Naumann, Günter |
| Reichel, Käthe |
| Tempelhof, Lissy |
Synopsis
In 1948, Horst Kramm (Alexander Lang) joins the criminal police force in Berlin and receives his first assigment: arresting a prostitute for theft. While on the case, the unconventional detective quickly sniffs out a more serious crime. A serial murderer has left behind two female bodies, disfigured beyond recognition by acid.
Colleagues in the Western sectors have discovered the motive, but their investigation is on hold due to the creation of a new joint police headquarters. Can the police catch the murderer in time to prevent further deaths or will the difficult political situation in the divided city allow him to roam free?
Commentary
Work on the film began in 1970 under the direction of Gerhard Klein, but shooting had to be broken off after ten days because the director came down with a serious illness that led to his death. The material was refilmed the following year with a partially new cast by Klein's assistant and student Helmut Nitzschke.
Awards
| 1973 | Heinrich Greif Prize, Class 1 (Georg Kranz, Claus Neumann, Helmut Nitzschke, Joachim Plötner) |
Availability
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