Element of Crime

- When it gets dark and cold in Berlin

This film tells the story and present of a very special German band, the story of ELEMENT OF CRIME: it's about music, friendship, an attitude to the world and the secret of making music together for 40 years. The band was founded in 1985 and has been an integral part of the German music scene ever since. They are regarded as the best-known unknown or the least-known known band in the German-speaking world. What kind of artists are they? How did they become what they are? Director Charly Hübner explores these questions with great sensitivity. He follows the band on a tour of Berlin, which was organized for this film, and takes us to places that are representative of the band's development.

We see Berlin, the city of the Wall, learn about the band's most important companions, New York, John Cale, London, Düsseldorf, Ata Tak and hear about the end of the Neue Deutsche Welle. The film is never nostalgic, it never sounds like the "good old days". The band is far too lively for that. Aren't they at the peak of their career right now?