Particle.news
Download on the App Store

‘Die Verteidigerin’ Premieres on Das Erste, Launching SWR’s New Legal Thriller

Early reviews praise standout performances with morally gray storytelling.

Overview

  • The pilot film Der Fall Belling debuts on 22 October 2025 at 20:15 on Das Erste as the series launch.
  • Andrea Sawatzki stars as public defender Lou Caspari opposite Valery Tscheplanowa as accused client Linda Belling.
  • Critics emphasize a courtroom narrative that questions clear-cut guilt and reframes assumptions about victim and perpetrator.
  • Directed by Martin Eigler from a script by Eigler and Sönke Lars Neuwöhner, the feature is set in Freiburg and the surrounding Black Forest.
  • The film streams in the ARD Mediathek for three months, with a completed second installment, Der Fall Nicola, slated for a 2026 broadcast.