Police, Violence, and Videos, Bild 1 Police, Violence, and Videos, Bild 2 Police, Violence, and Videos, Bild 3 Police, Violence, and Videos, Bild 4 Police, Violence, and Videos, Bild 5

Police, Violence, and Videos

When Operations Get Out of Control

Director:

SWR / ARD Die Story, 2014, 45 minutes

Increasing numbers of mobile phone videos are posted on the Internet, showing police assaults on citizens. We see police officers beating or kicking defenseless people lying on the ground, or killing them with gunshots. These shocking scenes are emotionally upsetting and they have sparked a social debate about excessive violence committed by the German police.

Based on select cases, the filmmaker embarks on a search for answers to the numerous questions we’re moved to ask in view of the recurring video footage: Why do these assaults happen? What gives us the impression that cases of police violence are frequently covered up? And what has changed as a result of the videos?