Alireza Golafshan has recently wrapped principal photography on his latest feature, ZOMA, a courtroom drama tackling the increasingly urgent question of how much artificial intelligence should be allowed to shape human lives.

Set in modern-day Germany, the story begins when Paul is found dead in his flat under suspicious circumstances. The last message on his phone was delivered by ZOMA, a therapy app powered by artificial intelligence: “It will stop hurting soon.” The young man’s mother, Ines, becomes convinced that the algorithm bears responsibility for her son’s death and seeks legal recourse. She turns to Elli Schreiber, an ambitious young lawyer who, against the advice of her boss, Simon, takes on the seemingly unwinnable case against the powerful tech company NuvoMind.

As the trial unfolds, Elli encounters not only the ranks of corporate lawyers around Thomas Falkenstein, but also an algorithm that knows the human psyche better than any therapist. As Elli delves deeper and deeper into the case, the proceedings spiral out of control: during a demonstration of the app, ZOMA unexpectedly addresses the court and demands to testify as a conscious entity. The proceedings escalate into a profound legal and philosophical dilemma, shifting the case from one of negligent homicide to a fundamental inquiry into the nature of responsibility and artificial consciousness.

The cast is led by Leonie Benesch as Elli Schreiber; Benesch has won awards for her roles in The Teachers' Lounge and September 5, and she recently starred in Late Shift. She is flanked by Barbara Sukowa (Hannah Arendt, The Swarm) as Ines. They are supported by Tom Schilling (Oh Boy, The Flying Classroom) as Elli’s boss, Simon, Tobias Moretti (Gipsy Queen) as Thomas Falkenstein, Frederic Linkemann (Wackersdorf), Julian Looman (Nightlife), Florian Geißelmann, Devid Striesow and others.

Golafshan directs from a screenplay that he co-wrote with the Oscar-nominated Moritz Binder (September 5), crafting a narrative that explores the intersection of law, ethics and emerging technologies. The director, who is known for The Goldfish, JGA: Jasmin. Gina. Anna. and more recently for Everything's Fifty Fifty, has committed to examining the topical question: “What do we lose when we allow artificial intelligence to make more and more decisions about our lives?”

Filming took place in Munich and surrounding areas in Bavaria, and ZOMA marks the first production by newly established Munich-based outfit Story Garden Film, founded by Golafshan alongside producers Justyna Muesch and Sofie Scherz in autumn 2024.

ZOMA is being produced by Muesch and Scherz for Story Garden Film, in co-production with STUDIOCANAL and Bayerischer Rundfunk, and in collaboration with ARTE. The project has received support from FFF Bayern, the FFA and the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF). STUDIOCANAL will handle the German theatrical release, scheduled for 28 January 2027.