Schuld sind immer die anderen (Shifting the blame) directed by Lars Gunnar Lotz, Germany 2012
Motivation: From the first image onwards, the audience is blown away by the violence of the young criminal and the helplessness of the victims. The strength of the film lies in the path that it shows to face this helplessness and the inability of the young man to control his aggression, a reflection of his anxiety. Misconduct must lead to reparation. But first there must be repentance. Only forgiveness - requested and accepted - can change rage into courage, but at what cost?
Synopsis: A violent young criminal and his victim come face to face in this tightly wound study of guilt and redemption. The twist is that Eva, a social worker at an experimental rehabilitation center for young prisoners, is unaware that angry young inmate Ben Graf is the thug who once brutally attacked her and left her with mental scars that may never heal. Scared of eventually being recognized by his victim, Ben is forced to confront the demons driving his aggression and consider feelings of guilt and remorse for very probably the first time in his deeply troubled life. (Festival Information)
Members of the jury: Katerina Trmacova, Czech Republic Cindy Mollaret, France Waltraud Verlaguet, France
(Extraits)
