Die Unsichtbaren (The Invisible Ones)
Germany 2023

Opening 15 Feb 2024

Directed by: Matthias Freier
Writing credits:

If you weren’t paying attention, you would think this documentary film could easily have been an episode of the epic German detective series Tatort. The only problem is that it is a true story based on true facts and knowing that it happened in Hamburg where I live gives me chills. Matthias Freier brings justice to the screen by paying tribute to a woman who has been too long overlooked. He follows his mother Marianne Atzeroth-Freier’s (Constanze Andree) career with the Hamburg police department. She was the first woman to join the criminal police department as a detective and had the skills to deal with hard facts mixed with empathy for the victims. Atzeroth-Freier uses her tough investigative insights in the1990s to uncover one of the most sensational murder cases here in Hamburg. The Säurefassmorde (acid-barrel murders) would never have been solved if she hadn’t been there investigating and thinking outside the box. The storyline is thoughtfully told and is an important part of women’s history. (Shelly Schoeneshoefer)