The Collini Case

The Collini Case

A murder. A murderer. No motive.

Attorney Caspar Leinen seems trapped when he's appointed by the court to defend the suspect in a spectacular murder case. But he soon starts to unearth one of the greatest legal scandals ever, stretching back to the aftermath of Nazi Germany...

The thrilling WWII-related drama is an outstanding adaptation of the international bestselling novel by Ferdinand von Schirach. Elyas M’Barek (“Suck Me Shakespeer“, “This Crazy Heart”), Alexandra Maria Lara ("The Baader Meinhof Complex“, "Control“, "Rush“) and Franco Nero ("Camelot", "Django Unchained“, "John Wick: Chapter 2“) star in the lead roles. Marco Kreuzpaintner ("Trade“, "Beat“, "Summerstorm“) directs the explosive, spellbinding murder trial masterfully, testing the bounds between morality and justice.

For over 30 years, Fabrizio Collini has worked diligently for a German carmaker before going and killing a man, seemingly on a whim. It's a nightmare for lawyer Caspar Leinen, who takes over his case as a court-assigned lawyer: The victim, respected industrialist Jean-Baptiste Meyer, is the grandfather of his high-school sweetheart Johanna. Everything in this spectacular case seems to be working against the inexperienced lawyer: Caspar Leinen is personally involved, has a client who won't talk to him, and an opponent who seems far superior in legendary prosecutor Professor Richard Mattinger. When he decides to tackle the case anyway, he starts uncovering one of the greatest legal scandals ever, stretching back to World War II. But how much is he willing to sacrifice to expose the truth? 

– Press Clippings –

“The filmmaker pulls off courtroom scenes that are tidily parsed, and demonstrates the intensity of Caspar’s strenuous research through Italian towns and mountains of paperwork in a fairly gripping fashion. And no matter how much you can predict the true reason behind Collini’s crime, the reveal still packs a heartbreaking punch.”
Roger-Ebert

“Kreuzpaintner's latest feature is a beautiful piece, its change of perspective — searching for the motives rather than for the murderer – making it much more appealing and innovative than other films of the genre.”
Cineuropa

“Marco Kreuzpaintner's highly emotionally gripping court thriller “The Collini Case” uses atmospheric images and a convincing Elyas M‘Barek to track down a dark family secret.”
Filmstarts
 

"Thus, The Collini Case is a highly recommended affair, especially because of the risks it takes, as well as the issues it raises. It shows us that guilt and cruelty can lie in enexpected places, but justice still exists and can be a beacon of hope."
Cine Premiere

“A German thriller that is well worth seeing and that will also convince lovers of the bestseller - especially because it manages to open a scandalous chapter of German judicial history with the appropriate scope.”
Cineman