ABORTED {ABGETRIEBEN} (TV)
Summary
Based on actual events, this German drama set in the provincial West German town of Memmingen focuses on the late 1980's trial of a gynecologist charged with performing illegal abortions. Dr. Hess is initially investigated for possible income tax evasion involving failure to report funds received for his services, but the financial investigation soon becomes a public crusade against abortion. Abortion is legal in the Federal Republic of Germany if it is performed within the first trimester of pregnancy and if, in the doctor's opinion, it is necessary to avert a medical emergency. In this case, the authorities question the scope of the criteria applied by Hess, arguing that he encouraged financially and emotionally troubled women to terminate pregnancies. Hundreds of women who had received abortions performed by Hess are interrogated, tried as criminals, and forced to testify against the doctor. The public prosecutors, who are accused by the media of attempting to advance their careers at the expense of justice, probe deeply into the women's personal lives. Although disclosures about the private life of one of the prosecutors reveals the hypocrisy of his position, the case grinds on, but Dr. Hess remains steadfast in his innocence and the women begin to resist the tyranny of the court. In German with English subtitles.
Details
- NETWORK: ZDF (Germany)
- DATE: November 30, 1991
- RUNNING TIME: 1:39:08
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:31238
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Abortion; Drama; International Collection - Germany
- SERIES RUN: ZDF (Germany) - TV, 1992
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ingeborg Janiczek … Executive Producer
- Inge Richter … Production (Misc.), Head of Production
- Norbert Kuckelmann … Director, Writer
- Renate Leiffer … Direction (Misc.), Assistant Director
- Markus Urchs … Music by
- Hanns Zischler … Cast, Dr. He§ (Hess)
- Jorg Hube … Cast, the Presiding Judge
- Edgar Selge … Cast, Attorney Block
- Axel Milberg … Cast, Attorney Stern
- Bernd Herberger … Cast, Public Prosecutor Kranz
- Dominik Raacke … Cast, Judge Fromm
- Christine Neubauer … Cast, Frau Sommer
- Barbara Dickmann … Cast, Frau Reich
- Saskia Vester … Cast, Frau Stein
- Monika Schwarz … Cast, Frau He§ (Hess)
- Aslahan Ozay … Cast, Frau Zefir
- Gunter Grawert … Cast, Oberstaatsanwalt
- Ruth Drexel … Cast, the Minister
- Doris Schade … Cast, Frau Dr. Krauss
- Franziska Walser … Cast, Zeugin Schroder
- Werner Asam … Cast
- Stefan Born … Cast
- Annette Hallstrom … Cast
- Michael Lerchenberg … Cast
- Eva Roder … Cast
- Helmut Stange … Cast
- Oliver Stritzel … Cast
- Klaus Tissler … Cast
- Gumhur Atalan … Cast
- Dietrich Jager … Cast
- Alexander Kaess … Cast
- Angela Roy … Cast
- Judith Kernke … Cast
- Ulrich Schroth … Cast
- Heribert Prantl … Cast
- Piero Russo … Cast