Wrong Time Wrong Place

Asia Pacific Premiere

It could be said that 16-year-old Marinus Schöberl found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Three local boys of the same age got him blind drunk, dragged him out of the pub and to the edge of their village, where they beat him to death, set him on fire and finally buried him. They did it perhaps out of boredom, perhaps because he had dyed blonde hair or because he wore baggy skate trousers.

However, when the documentary makers ask people in the village what they think, their answers are vague and indifferent. Eastern Germany and its countryside saw its traditions destroyed by communist management. The incident and the ensuing reaction are symptomatic of the pervading atmosphere, which is completely demotivating for adults and young people alike, easily giving rise to senseless violence and reflecting a desire for power and strength.