Alexander Dominitzki

Stille Nacht, raue Nacht

She gets short of breath from incense cleansing rituals, dream diaries, wish lists that are supposed to be thrown into the fire bowl and other such esoteric hocus-pocus. At a winter solstice party thrown by her older sister Svea just before Christmas, the more rational climate researcher Liane encounters a world that is foreign to her. The scientist meets Mani, who is walking the spiritual path and who somehow fascinates her despite all the differences. Her relationship with her long-time boyfriend Philipp is less good. After an argument, he flies to Gomera alone. She stays behind, not only worrying about the weather being far too warm, but also has to put up with her Christmas-crazy neighbor and his family and receive her conspiracy-obsessed in-laws-to-be while Mani stays overnight with her. On Christmas Eve, fate and the weather really start to shake up Liane.

The Experiment

20 volunteers agree to take part in a seemingly well-paid experiment advertised by the university. It is supposed to be about aggressive behavior in an artificial prison situation. A journalist senses a story behind the ad and smuggles himself in among the test subjects. They are randomly divided into prisoners and guards. What seems like a game at the beginning soon turns into bloody seriousness.