Surface tension
DQ speaks to writer-director Friedemann Fromm and star Milena Tscharntke about German thriller Tod von Freunden (Beneath the Surface), in which the lives of two families are torn apart after a tragic accident. Boasting a German and Danish cast, multiple narratives and a remote island setting, eight-part thriller Beneath the Surface is a story of secrets and lies that threaten to unravel the lives of two families following an accident. Living on an island paradise, these families – one German, one Danish – have forged a life together, their children living like siblings in a carefree environment. But when a sailing trip goes wrong and one child disappears overboard, skeletons from the past come to the fore, leading to distrust, doubt and the break-up of this previously idyllic life. Known as Tod von Freunden in Germany, the series comes from writer-director Friedemann Fromm (Weissensee). Its cast includes Thure Lindhardt (The Bridge), Lene Marie Christensen (The Legacy), Jan Josef Liefers (Tatort), Jakob Cedergren (The Sandhamn Murders) and Katharina Schüttler (Generation War). Uniquely, each episode follows events before and after the accident from a different character’s point of view, throwing viewers deeper into the mystery at the heart of the story as the truth is slowly revealed. “It’s the story of two families who are merged into one big clan and living a dream on a marvellous island,” Fromm explains. “But the paradise is threatened by the truth after a tragic accident where one of the kids vanishes in the open sea. … Continue reading Surface tension
