Staatsschutz film proposed for 2027 Oscars

The political thriller ‘Staatsschutz’, directed by Faraz Shariat, has been selected as one of eleven films proposed by German Films for the 2027 Oscars.

Set in an East German city, the film follows Seyo Kim, a young prosecutor of German-Asian descent, who survives a racially motivated arson attack. As she attempts to investigate the incident, she faces systemic obstacles, including racism within the police force and attempts by her own agency to downplay the crime. The narrative explores themes of institutional blindness toward right-wing extremism, drawing parallels to historical cases like the National Socialist Underground (NSU).

Starring Chen Emilie Yan, the film depicts Kim’s struggle to navigate legal boundaries and bureaucratic corruption to uncover the truth behind potential infiltration of the justice system by far-right elements.