Alone among the lost
New “Sörensen” crime thriller with Bjarne Mädel
Sörensen (Bjarne Mädel) and Jenny (Katrin Wichmann) in a scene from the TV crime thriller “Sörensen catches fire”. photo
© Michael Ihle/NDR/dpa
Bjarne Mädel experiences deep human loneliness as an inspector in the film adaptation of the novel “Sörensen Catches Fire”. And desperate attempts to escape her. Mädel also sees this as a picture of society.
Did he feel a lot of pressure? “Pressure to succeed, yes, but in a positive way,” said the 55-year-old, visibly relaxed, to the German Press Agency in Hamburg.
The team was already well-coordinated, and they wanted to go one better with their second film together, says Mädel. “I have the feeling that we are a little more consistent aesthetically this time. Stronger in terms of contrasts, darker, more ‘Scandinavian’ in the look.” This time the film is also much more specific on the sound level. “We have eliminated background noises such as birds chirping with special filters. This means that it is often almost unnaturally quiet.” Surreal-looking scenes in which the camera shoots people from above are part of the film language.
A lot of human misery
All of this serves to paint the mood of a story about profound human loneliness. And where, in the worst case scenario, it can lead. Sörensen, the inspector without a first name, who ended up on the flat coast of Hamburg after separating from his family in Hamburg, feels fundamentally alone here. He now deals with his anxiety disorders, which characterized the first case, by stopping his medication. He is immediately plagued by withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, communication with his subordinates Jenni Holstenbeck (Katrin Wichmann) and Malte Schuster (Leo Meier) does not work well at all.
Things get really tough little by little: First, Sörensen almost ran over the blind young girl Jette (Liv Clasvogt), who was locked away by her father for a long time and who haunts the forest at night, disturbed. Then there is also a dead man lying on the sofa in Jette’s dilapidated parents’ house. The girl moves in with Sörensen and his dog for the time being. Meanwhile, the depressed civil servant finds himself increasingly caught up in a web of murder, religious madness and well-kept secrets. Because in the fictional Katenbüll he has to deal with villagers who once all left the church on one day – to join together in a sect.
In addition to the human misery, the motif of speed dating runs through “Sörensen Catches Fire” as a macabre running gag. Jenni is definitely interested in her introverted boss and advises him to go to one of the musty village bars.
“Sörensen” doesn’t have to be a series
With so much loneliness, the question arises as to whether Stricker and Mädel, who influenced the script, don’t just want to tell the audience about Katenbüll’s small world. Mädel: “Of course it’s also a social analysis, I think it’s very topical because people who are afraid of not belonging somewhere or don’t feel understood often join strange beliefs or even questionable parties.”
In the crime novel, the believers initially had a utopia, which he doesn’t find wrong at all, says Mädel. “The only problem is when a community like this becomes fanatical. When it no longer allows others and says that only mine counts and anything that deviates from that is wrong.”
When will Sörensen solve his third television case? Here too, the television star appears relaxed. “I don’t intend for this to be a series.” He remembers: “In the first film, I was interested in the anxiety disorder and how it could be portrayed. In the second film, I actually had to think about it a bit because I didn’t want a repeat of the first film. But then the topic of loneliness and its possible consequences crystallized us as an over-topic. I found that worthwhile and exciting to tell.”
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