From "Concordia" to "The Nicest People in the World", Germany hits MipTV with suspense and the supernatural

Germany's impressive crop of crime dramas, mysteries, suspense, apocalyptic catastrophes, royal intrigues and supernatural tales will certainly attract buyers at this year's MipTV in Cannes.

Selections of series, TV movies and unscripted shows offer a wide range of content but remain also heavy crime - a favorite German genre.

Among the new offerings is Beta Film's factual title "I am Scrooge." Produced by Zeitsprung Pictures, the Cologne-based company behind the hit Netflix spy thriller 'Kleo', 'I am Scrooge' tells the true story of Arno Funke, a frustrated artist who rose to fame as a bomb extortionist in the early 1990s.

Identifying as Dagobert Duck — the German name for Disney character Scrooge McDuck — Funke was targeting some Germans department stores, starting with Berlin's KaDeWe in 1988, while continuously outmaneuvering the police and even becoming a local folk hero. The six-part series stars Friedrich Mücke, Mišel Maticevic, Sonja Gerhardt and Moritz Führmann.

Director Robert Schwentke, recently in Berlin with his big-screen satirical Roman saga "Seneca", explores a dystopian future in "Helgoland 513". After a cataclysm throws the world into chaos, survivors form a totalitarian society on a North Sea island that limits its population to 513. Produced by UFA Fiction for Sky and sold internationally by NBCUniversal Global Distribution, the high-end septuagenarian part of the series stars Alexander Fehling, Martina Gedeck, Samuel Finzi, Antje Traue, Kathrin Angerer, Tobias Resch and Maja Schöne.

Social planning is also at the center of "Concordia", a futuristic drama from "Game of Thrones" producer Frank Doelger and his Berlin company Intaglio Films. Sold by ZDF Studios, the six-part series centers on a utopian city powered by artificial intelligence that has improved lives, eliminated crime and powered a booming economy. Chaos ensues, however, when the AI ​​system is hacked, a city analyst is found dead, and a shocking truth is revealed that can undermine the very existence of the city.

Juan Carlos: Downfall by Gebrüder Beetz Filmproduktion and Sky Studios premieres in new competition of Cannes documentary series. of the King,” an investigative documentary about the disgraced former Spanish monarch. Sold worldwide by NBCUniversal Global Distribution, the four-part series promises to be "one of the most explosive projects of the year", according to Christian Asanger, vice president of entertainment at Sky Germany.

Writer-producer Christian Beetz adds: "When we started producing the investigative series on Spain's King Juan Carlos I, we weren't aware of the extent of the political dimensions. Gradually, a web of intrigue, greed and power games unfolded, reaching the highest levels of society and protected by the Spanish CNI secret service to this day. It's a remarkable story that we try to tell without fear or complacency.

"Dear Vivi", an "emotional family drama and thriller combo" from ZDF Studios, became the most successful series on ZDFmediathek, the ZDF pubcaster's VOD service. Written and produced by Natalie Scharf, the seven-part series revolves around a family torn apart when the father suddenly kills his wife in the heat of the moment and finds himself in police custody awaiting trial. Vivi, the eldest daughter of the family, tries to take responsibility for her younger siblings while their father tries to explain the preparations for his terrible crime.

Telling another story of modern families, Caroline Link — who directed award-winning "Nowhere in Africa" an Oscar” – explores psychotherapy for children and adolescents in “Safe”. Produced by Claussen + Putz Filmproduktion, the eight-part ZDF Studios series focuses on Berlin therapists Katinka (Judith Bohle) and Tom (Carlo Ljubek), their personal lives and their young patients. "As a director, I naturally have an interest in psychology," says Link.

The topic of psychology and children was particularly intriguing for the filmmaker's first foray into television. “I am a mother. I love children. I feel very connected to the children. What I found very moving...