SCREENING + Q&A - DIE ZEIT VERBRECHEN: DEZEMBER - German Currents 2025

The German Currents Film Festival and the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles would like to invite you to its special preview screening of DIE ZEIT VERBRECHEN: DEZEMBER, followed by a discussion with Writer-Director Mariko Minoguchi.

DIE ZEIT VERBRECHEN: DEZEMBER

Saturday, October 18th @ 12:30 PM

at the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles

1901 West 7th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90057

Admission is free | Space is limited | Beverages and light refreshments provided.

RSVP holders will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Free Parking is available at Metro/Retail parking structure located at

676 S. Westlake Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90057

Public transport is possible with the red line to MacArthur Park/Westlake stop.

Using carpool or ride-share options are appreciated.

DIE ZEIT VERBRECHEN: DEZEMBER
Writer-Director Mariko Minoguchi
Cinematography Felix Pflieger
Editor Andreas Menn
Cast Samuel Benito, Lisa Hagmeister, Kailas Mahadevan, Sebastian Zimmler, Aljoscha Stadelmann, Shadi Eck, Carlo Stolle, Jule Hermann, Lisa Hofer, Eser Duran, Clara Aileen Bowen, Johannes Benecke
Producers Jorgo Narjes, Uwe Schott
Production Company X Filme Creative Pool, in Coproduction with Zeit Verlag, in Collaboration with Paramount Television International Studios

For 18-year-old Tim, a night out with friends at their favorite club offers a well-deserved break following his recent move with his family to another town. In the midst of all the partying, where the group of boys have too much to drink, Tim loses sight of his friends, and unfortunately his ride home. What follows is a series of encounters with various officials, homeowners near the club, and the police that will lead to a tragic outcome.
Directed by Filmmaker Mariko Minoguchi, DIE ZEIT VEBRECHEN: DEZEMBER is the first episode in the 4-part limited series based on the true crime podcast of the same name produced by the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit. The series discusses true crime cases, researched and discussed by long-time crime reporter Sabine Rückert and other Zeit journalists.

This event is presented with the support of the German Film Office as part of the 2025 “Face to Face with German Films” campaign, which highlights rising stars in the German film world. Director Mariko Minoguchi is one of this year’s ambassadors.


NOMINATIONS & AWARDS
Grimme-Preis 2025 Nominee in Fiction Category
Deutscher Schauspielpreis 2024 Ensemble-Award, Best Newcomer (Nominated) - Samuel Benito
Deutsches FernsehKrimi-Festival 2024 Crime Series of the Year Award
TeleVisionale – Film- und Serienfestival 2024 Nominee – German Series, Winner - Serienpreis der Studierenden-Jury

Mariko Minoguchi was born in Munich, Germany. She directed her first short film MAYBE at the age of 18 and went on to gain experience in various film productions. In 2010 she co-founded the production company Trimafilm with Trini Götze. Her feature film debut as a director, MEIN ENDE. DEIN ANFANG. premiered at the Munich Film Festival, was part of the first feature competition at the BFI Film Festival and won several awards, including the German Film Critics Association’s awards for Best Debut Film and Best Screenplay. In collaboration with director Tim Fehlbaum, she wrote the screenplay for THE COLONY, which premiered at the Berlinale in 2021 and reached number 1 on the US Netflix charts. The series ZEIT VERBRECHEN, of which she was a co-creator, director and writer for the first film DEZEMBER, was part of the Berlinale Panorama 2025.



WORLD SALES
X Filme Creative Pool
www.x-filme.de

FULL FESTIVAL PROGRAM: WWW.GERMANCURRENTS.COM

The German Currents Film Festival 2025 is a co-production of the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles and the American Cinematheque, with the support of The Friends of Goethe, ELMA, Condor, the Austrian Consulate General in Los Angeles, go-international, Tupetz Wine Connection, Paulaner USA, Paulaner Sunset, Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e.V., the German Film Office, our media partners Deutsche Welle, KPFK Radio, Campus Circle, our educational outreach partners Creating Creators, and in cooperation with the German Consulate General in Los Angeles.