The new ORF country crime thriller from Vorarlberg by and with Karl Markovics
Vienna (OTS) – For the third time, the popular ORF rural crime series is making a stop in Vorarlberg, and for the second time Karl Markovics and Julia Koch are taking up the investigation there when “The Silence of the Donkeys” takes place on Tuesday, January 9th, 2024, at 8:15 p.m in ORF 1 faces a new test. As unbelievable as it may sound, the story of the Bremen Town Musicians is said to be connected to a mysterious series of murders. In addition to Karl Markovics as the false, imprisoned inspector and the village police officer played by Julia Koch, other roles also include Gerhard Liebmann, Valentin Sottopietra, Klaus Windisch, Tobias Fend, Julian Sark and Caroline Frank as well as Stefan Pohl again. Karl Markovics is not only the main actor, but also the screenwriter (based on motifs and characters by Daniel Kehlmann) and director behind the camera. The rural crime thriller, co-produced by ORF and ARTE and made by Superfilm with the support of the state of Vorarlberg, was shot in May and June 2022 in Hittisau, Bregenz and Wolfurt, among others. Even before it was broadcast on TV, “The Silence of the Donkeys” was a success at the German TV Crime Festival 2023. The ORF country crime thriller was awarded the renowned main prize at the festival in Wiesbaden. Julia Koch also received the special award for Best Actress for her role as village police officer Sophie Landner.
Director, screenwriter and leading actor Karl Markovics gave a first insight into the new Vorarlberg country crime thriller “The Silence of the Donkeys” on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, as part of an interview in the Viennese Café Dommayer.
Karl Markovics: “Jonas Horak is probably in for the biggest surprise of his life”
About his role as director, screenwriter and leading actor, Karl Markovics says: “You think it’s three times the work, but in reality it’s getting easier and easier. The screenwriter already does a lot of work for the director. The director does all the work for the actor during the preparation and the actor has already learned the text because he wrote it.” And further about the film: “Jonas Horak is probably in for the biggest surprise of his life. I’m sure that nothing a viewer believes in any given moment will come true in the next moment. It will be different than what people think.”
More about the content
A series of strange murders alarms the false inspector Jonas Horak (Karl Markovics): he summons Sophie Landner (Julia Koch), who arrested him, to the prison. There is a serial criminal at work here who is targeting him. She has to find the donkey, because all the murders so far have had to do with the story of the Bremen Town Musicians. As absurd as Horak’s logic seems at first glance, Landner increasingly has to realize that the matter needs to be taken seriously. Deadly serious.
“The Silence of the Donkeys” is a production by ORF and ARTE, made by Superfilm with the support of the state of Vorarlberg.