In January 1998 the Vatican opened the secret archives of the Inquisition for the first time - but only for a few privileged researchers. Although photographers and filmmakers are still kept out, the mere announcement caused an international sensation. Apparently it is impossible to talk to the guardians of the archive - the modern-day inquisitors - about their unique treasure. And filming inside the archive itself is absolutely unthinkable. However, the film “The Secret Inquisition” managed to do both, for the first time and as a world exclusive.

Countless mysteries, puzzles and questions covering 500 years of world history still slumber in the Palace of the Holy Office, the headquarters of the Catholic Inquisition. Our film exposes the search for answers in the middle of the legendary archive of Western civilisation. And - a fact revealed by the documentary - it still exists today, the Inquisition.

“The Secret Inquisition” is a three-part docu-drama which tells the true story of the Inquisition, from its roots in the 16th century at the spearhead of the Counter-Reformation right up until the modern day. To do so we employ stories, scenes from feature films, top-quality interviews, commentaries and previously unseen images from the heart of the Inquisition itself, its secret archive.

For the first time a film crew has been permitted to shoot footage inside the archive. Ziegler Film was able to secure exclusive world filming rights, and similarly Ziegler Film has the film rights for the non-fiction book “The Secret Inquisition” by the famous historian from Tübingen, Professor Peter Godman, who has been conducting research since 1996 in the secret archives of the Sacred Congregation (formerly the Holy Inquisition). It has been possible for the first time to tell the story of one of the oldest and most important institutions of mankind from the perspective of within the institution itself.

Who were the inquisitors, what were their motives, what were their hopes, what did they believe in their heart of hearts, and what were they afraid of? Our docu-drama goes beyond the discoveries of the book, because the conceptual structure has been employed to conduct further research, coming up with fascinating new findings from the archives.

In interviews Cardinal Ratzinger and other senior representatives of the Catholic Church discuss the mentality and everyday activities of the Inquisition, and the continuity between the past and the present which is encapsulated in the Catholic view of the world. Fictional scenes are lavishly re-enacted at the historical locations, complete with outstanding casts. In this way history is brought to life again, and events which can no longer be documented are given images and faces once more.

In this three-part docu-drama we are also entering upon terra incognito, which we explore exclusively. To this day the Catholic Church, with far more than a billion members, is the largest religious community in the world. It has had a decisive influence on the moral, cultural and intellectual countenance of our world. Answers to the previously inaccessible mysteries contained in the archive of the guardians of the face provide information about the role of the Christian religion in the past and in the present. In the context of the current conflict between great world religions and their role in modern life, “The Secret Inquisition” aims to make an important contribution to an understanding of Western civilisation.