Written and directed by Tom Tykwer, Hendrik Handloegten and Achim von Borries Original Babylon Berlin Title Based on Volker Kutscher Written and Tom Tykwer, Achim von Borries, directed by Hendrik Handloegten Showrunner Tom Tykwer (PERFUME – THE STORY OF A MURDERER, RUN LOLA RUN) Format one hour series Genre Historical Crime Drama Produced by X Filme Creative Pool in co– production with Beta Film SYNOPSIS The peak of the Golden Twenties, a city dancing on the edge of the volcano. Politics and crime, sex and drugs, emancipation and extremism - if you had talent, ambition or hustle there was only one place to be: The Babylon of the Twenties – Babylon Berlin. Run-down, war-shattered Berlin has transformed into the most vibrant metropolis of its time. Home to more newspapers than London, more theaters than New York City and to a night life so dazzling and decadent, it outshines Paris as the capital of hedonism. But beneath the glittering surface, the political turmoil of the Weimar Republic, growing poverty and unemployment are fertile soil for the rise of political extremism and organized crime. Babylon Berlin is a large-scale crime drama set in the middle of the fascinating and disturbing contradictions of these times. The series unfolds in a kaleidoscope of milieus and characters, depicting a diverse portrait of a legendary era. All threads revolve around the Red Fort, Berlin’s monumental police headquarters at Alexanderplatz. Gereon Rath, a young police officer from Cologne is sent to the capital to join the vice squad. His father, an influential police commissioner, insists that Gereon gets his hands on Johann König’s latest exploits, a series of utterly explicit films. Though calm and sincere at first sight, a burden from the past seethes inside this young man. And as in his investigations, the more of Gereon’s secrets unravel, the deeper the entanglements seem to reach. The vice squad is headed by Bruno Wolter, a loyal and caring colleague, as long as you are fighting on his side. Although Gereon owes his life to Bruno, his hidden agenda soon develops into a serious threat, not only to Gereon, but to the young republic itself. Caught between these two men is Charlotte Ritter, a young stenographer. Fighting for recognition as a detective and the survival of her family, keeps her going around the clock. During the day she provides Gereon with unexpected leads, but at night she reveals an entirely different side of herself at the bustling Moka Efti, where Wolter’s is only one of the many heads she turns. The first season opens when a mysterious train from Russia arrives. Carrying a cargo as flashy as it is fatal, it draws attention from the most diverse corners: to some, the train’s treasure is the key to political power, to others, it embodies a life in freedom and wealth, but first and foremost it turns out to be a deadly trap to everyone trying to approach it. 2 WRITER‘S AND DIRECTOR‘S NOTE BABYLON BERLIN will take you to a place in Germany that all of you know, and yet have never seen like this before. To a city at a time that has become legendary, fascinating people all over the world, even decades after its downfall. Society, politics, underground and crime, the whole culture of life was changing then, at breakneck speed. We experience the city with a character who could not be more scintillating: With Criminal Police Inspector Gereon Rath, who guides us through the Berlin of the 1920‘s. For years, myself and my partners at X Filme have been searching for material that could bring to life this extraordinary era in a cinematically exciting form and a contemporary context. When I finally discovered Volker Kutscher‘s Gereon Rath novels, I knew that I had the basis for a truly unusual and exciting television series in my hands. Together with Hendrik Handloegten and Achim von Borries, we developed the concept during the past few months. BABYLON BERLIN is a series that will not only take place in the studio – all of 1920‘s Berlin is the stage. We want to bring the the metropolis to life in all its facets, interiors and exteriors, day life and nightlife. Gedeon Rath is always on the move, on the Alex and in Oranienstraße, in bars and nightclubs, in rear courtyards and on boulevards, in the living spaces of all social strata and milieus. With the experience of VFX that we have been gathering in the past few years, we have developed methods to meld original locations with reconstructed geography. Thus, 1920‘s Berlin will for the first time be tangible as the boiling, feverish, bursting-at-the-seams metropolis which it was at that time. BABYLON BERLIN is a modern, epically conceived police procedural in historical guise, showing the Weimar Republic as melting pot of a reeling world on the move and in upheaval. Achim von Borries, Hendrik Handloegten and myself want to invent a German television series which brings differentiated characterization, breathless action and detailed historical research together in harmony. In the sense of a show runner I have dedicated myself to this project, body and soul, and as writer and director will be primarily responsible for BABYLON BERLIN becoming as unique, regarding content and aesthetics, as I imagined it. We believe that with BABYLON BERLIN we will be able to produce a special and novel series out of Germany, fit for the international market as well. I am very interested in us finding a connection to the innovative narrative concepts of topical Danish, British or American series, but without losing sight of the potential of regional, site specific plausibility. An authentic grip on types, milieus, dialects and quite generally living spaces is in my opinion the key to all successful series. Therefore we naturally want to realize this very special part of German history in German language, with the best German actors, for a national and international audience. I would be pleased if I could make you as excited about BABYLON BERLIN as I am. Tom Tykwer 3 CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS GEREON RATH Gereon Rath, a police officer from Cologne in his early thirties, is sent to Berlin by his father, a senior official at the Cologne police force. He is a decent and good mannered young man. His discrete and reserved ways give him a mysterious inscrutable touch. Drafted into the army short before the end of World War I, he had to leave his brother Anno behind in the field. Haunted by the memories and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, a sedative named ‘heroin’ gives a little relief to his restless body and soul. Back in Cologne, his brother’s widow Helga and her little son Moritz are waiting for him. While his nephew looks up to him like a father, Helga and Gereon still need to figure out how deep their affection to each other really is. Soon soaked up by the vibrant atmosphere of Berlin and being partnered with Charlotte, Gereon finds some comfort in the distance to Cologne. CHARLOTTE RITTER Charlotte Ritter, 23, works as a stenographer at the Red Fort, Berlin’s police headquarters. She is an emancipated single woman, charming, clever and full of energy - a Berlin original. Fighting for respect as a detective and providing for her family keeps her on her feet around the clock. During daytime she delivers unexpected leads to Gereon while, at night, she dances on the fine line between flirt and prostitution at Berlin’s most famous nightclub. With her enticing and intoxicating ways she reveals entirely new sides of Gereon. For her little sister Toni, she is a caring role model. For Greta, her impoverished unemployed friend, she finds a job at Police Superintendent Wündisch’s house. For all who get to know her, she is the shining light in dark times. BRUNO WOLTER Bruno Wolter, 44, is the leader of the vice squad. A stout bon vivant, he is full of chasms - filthy, corrupt and dirty on the one hand, a true friend and loyal colleague on the other. To Gereon, he is his mentor at the Red Fort and even lends him his garden arbour as a temporary home. To his manic-depressive wife Emmi, he is a loving husband. Although he takes advantage of his position everywhere he goes, he takes an honest liking to Charlotte. It takes a while for his colleagues to discover that Wolter is part of a paramilitary organization - the Third Division - not willing to stop at anything, not even the life of a colleague. ELMAR WÜNDISCH Elmar Wündisch, 52, the Jewish head of the political police. He is a sincere public servant known for his moral integrity, as loving to his family as he is a good natured employer to Greta. The devout catholic plays the organ at church every Sunday and leads his colleagues to confession. He tries his best to pour oil on the troubled waters of the young Weimar Republic. GRETA ILLERTISSEN Greta Illertissen, 20, serves as a housemaid for the Wündischs. Marked by life but still naïve and insecure, she is looking for someone to rely on. Charlotte saves her from homelessness by helping her to find a job and buying her lunch. When she meets Walter and falls in love, she feels like fate is on her side for the first time in her life. 4 WALTER SCHMIDT Walter, 23, a young communist, can be found either demonstrating on the streets of Berlin or hanging out at Lake Wannsee with his friend Otto.