Documentary, 95 min.

“A film about us—and on tour, no less—it’s a bit like a wildlife documentary, with us as the animals. You have to hope for a good director, and that’s Charly Hübner. We knew he loved the band; we trusted him, and we were right to do so. The film is great—completely different from what we expected—and those are always the best films.” – Sven Regener

This film tells the story—past and present—of a very special German band: the story of ELEMENT OF CRIME. It’s about music, friendship, a worldview, and the secret to making music together for 40 years.

ELEMENT OF CRIME was founded in 1985 and has been an integral part of the German music scene ever since. It’s considered the most famous unknown—or the least known famous—band in the German-speaking world. Who are these artists? How did they become who they are? Director Charly Hübner explores these questions with great sensitivity. He follows the band on a tour through Berlin—organized specifically for this film—and takes us to places that symbolize the band’s evolution. We see Berlin as a city behind the Wall, learn about their most important companions, about New York, John Cale, London, Düsseldorf, Ata Tak, the end of the Neue Deutsche Welle, and the beginning of ELEMENT OF CRIME. Never nostalgic, he never sounds like he’s reminiscing about the “good old days.” The band is far too vibrant for that—essentially at the peak of their creative powers.

Featuring Sven Regener, Jakob Ilja, Richard Pappik, Maike Rosa Vogel, Florian Horwarth, Isolation Berlin, Von wegen Lisbeth, Steiner & Madlaina, and Ansa Sauermann