“A Question of Friendship” (AT) and “Totenreich” (AT) in spring 2024 on ORF 1; State Secretary Mayer and ORF program director Groiss-Horowitz on the set
Vienna (OTS) – When the final blow falls in Vienna’s fifth district today, December 12, 2023, the film team around Philipp Hochmair, Andreas Guenther and Jaschka Lämmert will have completed filming for two new films in the ORF crime series “Blindly Investigated”. The cases “A Question of Friendship” (AT) and “Totenreich” (AT) have been staged in Vienna and the surrounding area since October 10th of this year – directed by David Nawrath (Film 10) and Sibylle Tafel (Film 11). Art and Culture State Secretary Andrea Mayer, together with ORF program director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz, took a look at one of the film sets from the past few weeks – in the rooms of the Redemptoris Mater mission college in Vienna’s 13th district – and behind the scenes of the production at a press event.
Art and Culture State Secretary Andrea Mayer: “Filming in the middle of Vienna, Austrian film or television productions, busy hustle and bustle, a great crew – opportunities to get into film scenes have become more and more common in Austria since the beginning of this year. The reason for this is the new film incentive model, which acts as a boost for the entire industry as well as the entire post-production chain. Local productions like the series ‘Blindly Determined’, which feature great actors, local city scenery and specifically Austrian humor, convey a bit of Austrian identity, even beyond our national borders. My thanks go to the entire film crew for the warm welcome on set. Good luck for the new season of ‘Blind Detect’!”
ORF program director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz: “If the new Everyman investigates the most beautiful places in Vienna, then serial success is inevitable. ‘Blindly Investigated’ is one of the most popular ORF crime series and thanks to the cooperation with our strong partners, Philipp Hochmair has now solved his eleventh case. I would like to thank the entire team and I am particularly pleased that I can already announce the sequel with two new episodes for next year.”
“Blindly Determined: A Question of Friendship” (AT) and “Blindly Determined: The Realm of the Dead” (AT) 2024 on ORF 1
Directed by David Nawrath (Film 10) and Sibylle Tafel (Film 11), Jaschka Lämmert as Inspector Laura Janda and Michael Edlinger as Peter Lassmann play alongside Philipp Hochmair and Andreas Guenther as the investigator duo Alexander Haller and Niko Falk. This time, a dark chapter from Haller’s past puts his friendship with Niko to the test and the investigation into a murder case in a noble family reveals a dark secret. Martina Ebm, Wolfgang “Fifi” Pissecker, Johannes Zirner, Martin Brambach, Nadeshda Brennicke, Michael Menzel, Sithembile Menck, Julia Raffaela Herzog, Elfriede Schüsseleder, Martin Feifel, Hannes Wegener, Andrea Guo, Veronika Polly, Barbara Spitz and others star in episode roles the camera. The scripts come from David Nawrath and Paul Florian Müller (Film 10) and Manja Schaar (Film 11).
More about the contents of the two new cases:
“Blindly Determined – A Question of Friendship” (AT)
A seriously injured man calls for special investigator Alexander Haller (Philipp Hochmair) with his last strength. It is his friend and ex-colleague Scherf (Michael Menzel), who was until recently in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend. When Haller arrives at the clinic, the dying man can only give him two cryptic requests. A new case begins for Alexander that raises old doubts: Was it a fatal mistake that he gave up the investigation out of bias? His research soon focuses on a Viennese coffee house empire that is about much more than melange and espresso. Alex not only puts himself in danger, but also puts his friendship with his partner Niko (Andreas Guenther) at risk.
“Blindly Determined – Realm of the Dead” (AT)
Alexander Haller (Philipp Hochmair) meets the head of the Viennese priest’s school Regens Wimmer (Martin Feifel) while attending a concert. The clergyman asks the special detective from the police to inquire about a protégé who has been missing for several days. Haller’s call to Inspector Janda (Jaschka Lämmert) brings certainty: the man he is looking for has been murdered. The first trail leads to the Brohnsteins’ aristocratic palace, who run a club and an artists’ gallery there. At first glance there is no connection to the murdered man, but the siblings Franziska (Martina Ebm), Johannes (Johannes Zirner) and Felix (Hannes Wegener) seem to be hiding something. And Wimmer, who has been the Brohnsteins’ confidante since the death of their parents, also seems to know more than he wants to say – or can.
“Blindly Detected” is a co-production by Mona Film and Tivoli Film in collaboration with ORF and Degeto for ARD, with support from the Austrian Television Fund, FISA+ and the Vienna Film Fund.