Wirecard scandal to be brought to screen

Documentary produced by Gabriela Sperl for Sky Studios and rbb/ARD

Plus drama series for Sky in Germany

Acclaimed film-maker Gabriela Sperl ( NSU - Mitten in Deutschland', Preis der Freiheit', Tannbach') and producer SFFP (Sperl Film und Fernsehproduktion GmbH) are developing a feature-length documentary on the Wirecard scandal for Sky Studios.

The documentary will be directed by Benji and Jono Bergmann of BABKA ( Gelato'), who will also co-produce.

The documentary will chart the rise and fall of Wirecard, a financial payments firm once seen as the posterchild for German tech innovation that collapsed in scandal in June 2020 following the uncovering of a 1.9bn accounting black hole. The story rocked the financial sector across the globe, following years of suspected lies, cover ups and an international web of money laundering. Today, Wirecard's CEO Markus Braun remains in custody with COO Jan Marsalek on the run, following the issuance of an international arrest warrant.

Following many years of journalistic investigation, Sperl will bring the story to screen with exclusive access to those closest to the Wirecard scandal, plus those who, like Sperl, followed the story closely as the company unravelled earlier this year.

In addition to the documentary, Gabriela Sperl is also developing a fictional mini-series on the same topic for Sky Studios.

Gabriela Sperl, producer SFFP said: "Wirecard is a global story of corruption and greed, of masterminds and narcissists, of the driven, dreamers and power mongers who, trapped in their own realities, carried others away in their insatiable desire for more.

In the 90-minute documentary and limited series, we will tell the thrilling drama of the rise and fall of Wirecard, set against an international backdrop of lies and misplaced trust. This is a story of betrayal, lack of responsibility and loss of values - and its about the brave ones who, despite persecution, ridicule and malice, did not let themselves be stopped from bringing the truth to light. Wirecard is also a story of the upright, a story about moral courage, about role models, who we need today more than ever. Among the informants who we were able to engage exclusively for our documentary are the two award-winning reporters from WirtschaftsWoche, Melanie Bergermann and Volker ter Haseborg, who will publish a book in November: The Wirecard story - the story of a billion-dollar lie.

Marcus Ammon, Senior Vice President Sky Original Production, said: "A financial crime thriller of this dimension, the mystery of a fraud of epic proportions and its mysterious protagonists, is not only material for an insightful documentary, but also contains countless narrative strands and complex characters as the basis for a fictional series.

We are happy to get to the bottom of this monstrous story together with Gabriela Sperl. Gabrielas unique network and her unbroken will to enlighten and bring the truth to light are the best conditions for these two exciting projects.

Martina Z llner, head of film and documentary at rbb/ARD, said: "How could it come to such an irrational decoupling of intoxicating high-flying and economic reality? And why did so many people share in the Wirecard dream? This is what our joint film wants to work out using the disinfecting power of documentary to do so.

For Sky Germany, Julia Jaensch will oversee both projects, working within Frank Jastfelder's team. Rolf Bergmann will oversee on behalf of rbb.

Shooting for the documentary will start soon in early autumn. Sky holds the first broadcast rights on pay TV before the documentary will be shown on ARD. The mini-series will be shot next year and will be shown on Sky and rbb/ARD in Germany.

ENDS

About Gabriela Sperl

GABRIELA SPERL is an award-winning author and producer focused on socio-political films. From 1998-2002 she was Head of the Drama, Fiction and Documentary Department at the Bayerischer Rundfunk/ARD.

In 2003, Gabriela Sperl left the BR to concentrate on writing and producing. Her productions have brought her numerous Grimme Awards, the Goldene Kamera, the Deutsche Fernsehpreis and Filmpreis, the Bambi, as well as awards in Shanghai, Paris and Cannes. Some of her most notable productions include "Stauffenberg for SWR/ARD, "Die Flucht" for ARD and "Operation Zucker" for BR/ARD. Tannbach" for Wiedemann&Berg TV, ZDF , "NSU - Mitten in Deutschland for ARD, and most recently "Preis der Freiheit for ZDF which won 3 major awards at the Deutsche Fernsehpreis in June 2020: best series, best leading actor and best leading actress.

About rbb/ARD

Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb) is the joint broadcasting corporation under public law of the German federal states of Berlin and Brandenburg. rbb operates six radio channels - rbb 88.8, Antenne Brandenburg, Fritz, Inforadio, Radioeins and rbbKultur -, the Dritte channel rbb TV with its own rbbtext teletext service, and an extensive online offering under rbb24. rbb contributes to the joint public service ARD programme Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen with programmes such as Kontraste, Tatort and Polizeiruf 110. It also participates in the satellite channels 3sat, ARTE, KI.KA and PHOENIX.

rbb is managed by director Patricia Schlesinger who has just been selected by the broadcasting council for a second period of five years. rbb has numerous freelance and 1,500 salaried employees. Its main broadcasting studios are in Berlin and Potsdam, it also operates studios in Cottbus, Frankfurt (Oder) and regional offices in Perleberg and Prenzlau. rbb participates in the ARDs joint foreign correspondent network with correspondents in London, Warsaw, Mexico City and Beijing.

About Sky Deutschland

Sky Deutschland is one of the leading entertainment companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, offering a world class range of content from the best li

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