Scripted

Filming has began on the drama series A Better Place by Komplizen Serien, Studio Canal Series, WDR and ARD Degeto.

What if… we were able to create a better life together in a world without prisons?  is the question explored by the project.  Set in a fictional city, mayor Amir Kaan (Steven Sowah), together with scientist Petra Schach (Maria Hofstätter), has started a revolutionary resocialization experiment. The local prison is to be closed, the inmates are to be reintegrated into society. Instead of punishment, they are given a place to work, housing, therapy and the obligation to deal with their crimes. A shock for the victims of their crimes. A social utopia for others.
A Better Place (working title) follows the events that illustrate this experiment in eight episodes of 45 minutes each and portrays the experiences of the offenders who fight prejudices and failures after returning to the city. And how are those who are trying to rehabilitate them? The scientists, social workers and politicians? How are the inhabitants of the city, the victims and their families, torn between the desire to forgive and the need for justice?

The series is supported by an ensemble of actors and actresses, among them are Maria Hofstätter, Steven Sowah, Katharina Schüttler, Johannes Kienast, Sandra Borgmann, Richard Sammel, Ulrich Brandhoff, Alev Irmak, Youness Aabbaz, Aysima Ergün, Cynthia Micas & Constantin von Jascheroff.

Filming will take place in North Rhine-Westphalia, including Wuppertal, Mönchengladbach and Leverkusen from August to December 2023.

The series will be shown in the ARD Mediathek and the German broadcasting station “Das Erste” at the end of 2024 and  is produced by KOMPLIZEN SERIEN (Producers: David Keitsch, Jonas Dornbach and Janine Jackowski) and STUDIOCANAL SERIES (Producers: Nicolas Loock, Kalle Friz) and FILM AG (Producers: Alexander Glehr, Johanna Scherz), The Post Republic in coproduction with WDR and ARD Degeto for ARD, CANAL+ France and CANAL+ Austria. STUDIOCANAL TV is responsible for its international distribution. The series was developed by Alexander Lindh ("Druck", "MaPa") and Laurent Mercier ("Eden", "The Beast of Bayonne").

The writers include Karin Kaçi, Bahar Bektas, Nora Gantenbrink, Daniel Hendler, Emanuel Tessema, Maryam Zaree and Svenja Viola Bungarten, Lindh also acts as showrunner. Anne Zohra Berrached ("24 Weeks", "The World Will Be a Different Place") and Konstantin Bock (editing for "Capernaum") are directing. Caren Toennissen and Frank Tönsmann (both WDR) and Christoph Pellander (ARD Degeto) are editors. At CANAL+, France Brice Mondoloni is in charge of the project, at CANAL+ Austria Philipp Boechheimer.