The new Rostock 'Polizeiruf' episode 'Tu es!' depicts an unknown person inciting youths online to commit murder and suicide. The film blends thrilling crime elements with a critical view of societal issues. It concludes with unexpected twists and open questions.
The NDR film 'Tu es!', directed by Max Gleschinski in his directorial debut for the series, opens with Frank Sinatra's 1965 song 'It was a very good year,' playing for three and a half minutes to create a bittersweet mood. A nighttime sequence in the rain introduces the protagonists: Melly Böwe (Lina Beckmann) in the car with her daughter, Frau König (Anneke Kim Sarnau) at a community center with her father (Wolfgang Michael), Chief Röder (Uwe Preuss) at the office, and Averell Pöschi (Andreas Guenther) with a sex worker. Everybody's Volker (Josef Heynert) drives at night and receives a call for a missing person search.
The operation ends tragically: The teenager Lara (Samara Fry) shoots Volker, who ends up in the hospital, and kills herself. Four weeks later, Leon (Karl Seibt) shoots an unknown woman on the tram and commits suicide. The suspect is teacher Felix Lange (Sebastian Jakob Doppelbauer), who knew Lara and Leon from an internet forum and is accused of manipulating them under the alias 'Wintersonne.' Lange, an idealist with a demented mother in a care home, preaches community but threatens the caregiver to burn down the facility.
In the background lurks a conspiracy involving a prosecutor (Thorsten Merten), who interferes in the investigation and is linked to Melly's past rape. The film, written by Florian Oeller and scored by Bert Wrede, weaves the plot in elliptical fashion. In the finale, Lange attempts to destroy the school with an explosive vest but is stopped by Melly and Frau König using a fire extinguisher. In the epilogue, he delivers a 'screw everything' monologue highlighting everyday pressures. At the end, he is shot by Sandro Färber (Jan-Peter Kampwirth), the widower of the victim, out of revenge and arrogance.
'Tu es!' highlights class differences, such as in a confrontation with a snobbish student's mother, and critiques discourses on taxes and broadcasting fees. The identity behind 'Wintersonne' remains mysterious, hinting at continuations.