• ©  Erika Hauri
  • ©  Erika Hauri
  • ©  Erika Hauri
  • ©  Erika Hauri
  • ©  Erika Hauri
  • ©  Erika Hauri
  • ©  Erika Hauri

Defenceless (2008 - Germany)

Maria from South America lives as an illegal resident in Germany. Like thousands of others she spends her days in a shadowy world which has its own rules: she is under constant pressure not to attract any attention. Even a doctor’s visit becomes a difficult undertaking. She is constantly exposed to cheaters and con artists who threaten to expose her illegal status - if found out she risks immediate deportation.    
Coming to Germany meant for Maria that she had to leave behind her two children Pablo and Isobel in Honduras. The only way to stay in touch with them now is by telephone or with the occasional video chat from an internet Café. One day Maria finds out that her children were mistreated by her stepmother. She brings the children to Germany immediately without being prepared for such a significant step. She borrows the money for their plane tickets from a loan shark, has to rent an apartment for an exorbitant price, and is unable to find a school for the children since she is not documented. Since Maria cannot afford daycare the children are left by themselves during the day. Since life with her two children has become significantly more expensive she is forced to work more than ever to make ends meet. She has to take more risks: In addition to her daily cleaning jobs in private apartments she takes cleaning jobs and dishwashing jobs in large restaurants risking exposure. When Maria's only friend, a Moroccan woman called Sami, is arrested and deported despite her being pregnant, it looks as though Maria is finally about to collapse under the constant psychological pressure. She realizes that things cannot go on like this and she seriously considers returning to Honduras despite all the obstacles she faces there. Suddenly Peter, a rather eccentric insurance assessor whose house she cleans, surprises the despondent Maria with a very surprising offer...




Besetzung

Carolina Vera, Matthias Brandt, Maximilian Brückner, Mira Mazumdar, Fahri Ogün Yardim u.v.a.

Stab

Regie
René Heisig

Drehbuch
Kit Hopkins und Thilo Röscheisen nach Motiven des Buchs SIE NAHMEN MIR DIE FREIHEIT von Maria Moreno und Steffen Bayer

Dramaturgie
Marion Klann

Kamera
Jochen Stäblein

Schnitt
Horst Reiter

Musik
Oli Biehler

Szenenbild
Heike Lange

Produktionsleitung
Michael Meister

Ausführender Produzent
Martin Bach

ProduzentIn
Regina Ziegler, Rita Serra-Roll

Redaktion
Günther van Endert

Infos

Sender
ZDF

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