CANNES: The interactive TV-event The Verdict continues its roll-out throughout Europe and will be simultaneously broadcast in six countries with additional territories to follow. The MOOVIE production by Oliver Berben (“Shades of Guilt”, “Hotel Adlon – A Family Saga”) will be screened in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Slovakia and live in Cannes/France for the MIPCOM 2016 audience on primetime this Monday night. In addition to the new agreements with Czech Republic and Slovakia Beta Film also secured a contract with Denmark’s DR, which will broadcast the program later this year. Negotiations with several European key territories are underway.
The legal thriller The Verdict (90’), directed by Lars Kraume (“The People vs. Fritz Bauer”), is the latest in a row of joint projects of Oliver Berben and Beta Film and circles around the legal question whether it might be justified to shoot down a civilian plane converted into a deadly suicide missile. The movie, which has already stirred controversial discussions, will be shown on 100 screens in cinema prior to its broadcast.
TV professionals, executives and journalists attending MIPCOM will judge after the screening as viewers will do across Europe. The event, hosted by Beta Film, will take place on Monday, October 17th, 8.15 pm, at C 21 Grand Beach, La Croisette, Cannes.
The case: Terrorists hijack a civil airplane and force the pilot to set course for a sold-out football stadium. At the last minute and against the explicit orders of his wing commander, a German air force pilot shoots down the airplane before it crashes into the stadium. Having saved the lives of tens of thousands but killing all passengers on board, he now faces charges for his action in court.
The concept: The audience witnesses the trial and have to judge for themselves by voting live online, via telephone or text message: guilty or innocent? The vote will be moderated in each country by local anchormen. Depending on the outcome, either the conviction or the acquittal of the pilot will be broadcasted, followed by high ranking political talk shows, turning a linear fictional program into an interactive, captivating, and unpredictable TV happening.
The show is based on the stage play “Terror” by bestseller author Ferdinand von Schirach (“Shades of Guilt”) and stars Florian David Fitz (“Vincent Wants to Sea”), Burghart Klaussner (“The White Ribbon”), Martina Gedeck (“Lives of Others”), and Lars Eidinger (“Clouds of Sils Maria”). The Verdict is an Oliver Berben production by MOOVIE in co-production with ARD Degeto and rbb. World sales are handled by Beta Film.
