Veronica Ferres
She produces formats about the Erlemann case
Johannes Erlemann and Veronica Ferres have become the “closest confidants”.
© 2016 Peter West/ACE Pictures/ImageCollect / RTL / Boris Breuer
Together with RTL and Veronica Ferres, kidnapping victim Johannes Erlemann will tell his incredible story in several formats.
The case of the kidnapped eleven-year-old boy Johannes Erlemann in 1981 kept the world in suspense. Only after 16 days, trapped in a tiny shack, could the son of entrepreneur Jochem Erlemann be freed after paying a ransom of three million Deutschmarks. Together with RTL and in close cooperation with Johannes Erlemann, Veronica Ferres (57) is now devoting herself to the spectacular case as a producer and in the form of several formats.
The martyrdom of Johannes Erlemann is examined from four different perspectives as a feature film and documentary, as well as in a podcast and a book. “For me, this project is a life’s work that I’ve been working on for ten years,” says Erlemann about the ambitious plan. “Without Veronica Ferres, I would not have been willing to disclose everything unconditionally. Through a fateful meeting a few years ago, I not only gained a friend, Veronica is also one of my closest confidants.”
Marc Rothemund directs
The announced feature film will be directed by Oscar-nominated Marc Rothemund (53, “Sophie Scholl – The Last Days”), as Ferres reveals in the RTL press release. It is “his first TV feature film in 20 years,” Ferres continued. Lutz Heineking Jr. (“The Peacock”, “No Special Incidents”) will meanwhile be responsible for the documentation.
Sascha Schwingel, Deputy Head of TV & Entertainment RTL Germany, explains why RTL has secured the rights to the material: “It’s the story of a kidnapped child – but it’s also a story of enormous fighting spirit and the will to survive, a story of courage We thank Johannes Erlemann for trusting us to tell it to us. And we’re delighted that we at RTL Deutschland can offer him the opportunity to present it across genres and in all its facets.” The publication of the entire package, which will also include reporting in “stern”, is planned for the coming year.