German director Faraz Shariat was invited to join the Panorama section in this year's Berlinale with his latest drama, Prosecution [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Faraz Shariat
fiche film], which delves into the German legal system and its blind spots, resulting from different prejudices. We chatted with the director about his research, his aesthetic approach and his main character.

Cineuropa: Were you inspired by real events?
Faraz Shariat: In Germany, since the founding of the Federal Republic, there have been numerous cases of institutional racism and racist violence being covered up or inconsistently prosecuted. We can’t really understand the German judicial system without taking its Nazi past into account. Many problems stem from the fact that total denazification of society has never taken place. Screenwriter Claudia Schaefer conducted intensive research over several years. She observed proceedings in public prosecutors’ offices and followed major cases, such as that of Oury Jalloh, which is one of the most well-known cases of police violence in Germany. She was able to gather very different impressions there. She also spoke with co-plaintiffs and relatives. Those affected often describe similar experiences: they feel unprotected by the state, encounter a lack of accountability, and get the sense that failures could have been prevented. Our film weaves many different impressions and cases from this research into a narrative fabric.

What interested you in particular about the main character, public prosecutor Seyo?
I was fascinated by the fact that you can’t ever really see her hand. She doesn’t immediately explain her motivations: does she believe in the system? Is she subverting it? Why does she work for the state? Her strength of will is also impressive. She’s afraid and feels threatened, yet she stays and carries on. I was also interested in the idea of resistance from within. Many people with antifascist convictions are sceptical of state institutions. The film asks: should we leave these institutions to themselves, or actively work within them and help shape them?

The character’s apartment is important in defining her personality. How did you design that environment?
It was important for me to create an eclectic image. The story takes place in East Germany, but it could just as well unfold somewhere else, in Germany, Europe, or the wider world. The fight against fascism is global. When we first see Seyo in her apartment, she’s yet to settle in. She doesn’t know how long she’ll be staying. But gradually, she makes the space her own – pretty much in the lion’s den. The film builds toward a certain point: fear is meant to change sides. Seyo takes up more and more space, becomes more present, and feels increasingly safer.

Her car and leather jacket are like armour for her.
That’s a beautiful image. We said: the more superhuman the strength that Seyo has to summon, the more we equip her with genre elements - almost like a superhero. Genre slowly seeps in and strengthens her. Ultimately, no one can be expected to do what she does. She’s very alone and has a threat to her life hanging over her.

The courtrooms seem stripped-back and stark. How important was that aesthetic?
“Unadorned” was a key word in our visual language. Cinematographer Lotta Kilian and I prepared extensively and were clear that nothing could be superfluous. The austerity and inhumanity of these spaces needed to be reflected in the film’s imagery. But the film also becomes more emotional and sensual as we draw closer to the character. I underestimated how taxing it would be, during the shoot, to work for weeks in such lifeless rooms. It takes a heavy psychological toll.

Could you tell us about the production conditions you were working under?
My first film, No Hard Feelings [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Faraz Shariat
fiche film], was hugely underfinanced and completely DIY. Whereas, with this film, we had a healthy budget for the first time. It was liberating: you could make decisions without constantly having to say no. We shot a lot of the film in Cologne, supported by funding from North Rhine-Westphalia. But a story mostly set within institutions shapes the work on set: you spend your days in offices and courtrooms. Those impressions linger differently and more intensely. After the editing process, I realised how empty I felt - seven months of working on this kind of material leaves its mark.