Juwelen

In Vienna at night, a robbery murderer with a fixation on precious jewellery is up to mischief. Two members of the Jewellers' Club have already lost their lives, prompting the newspaper Trompete to offer 10,000 shillings for the capture of the perpetrator. Modelled on the character of the poet Madeleine von Scuderi from Hoffmann's detective story, a cunning editor investigates on his own initiative. Like Sherlock Holmes, he uses the art of disguise to pursue the unknown and set a trap for him. Set in the gloomy Vienna of the present day, JUWELEN utilises the stylistic devices of Expressionism, above all the visual richness of its light and shadow effects. Hoffmann's literary material, staged in a contemporary way, creates an atmospheric crime film with a mesmerising effect. (Anett Werner-Burgmann)