On October 18th, the ZDFneo series “Aufstaut” will be dedicated to a hot topic. In six episodes, each just 15 minutes long, it’s about a climate protest group that sticks itself to the streets in a German city. The fictional program shows the situation that has arisen from different perspectives – including from the perspective of affected drivers who are forced to get stuck in traffic jams despite sometimes important appointments.
The new series is about activists around the young leader Lena (Valerie Stoll, 24) and Finn (Adrian Grünewald, 24), who is taking part in the group’s protest for the first time. By blocking traffic on a busy street, the climate protesters are causing trouble for a number of people. The expectant parents Zeynep (Miriam Ohlmeyer) and Max (Fatoni) desperately want to go to the hospital because Zeynep is heavily pregnant. Parcel driver Lew (Nicolas Garin) is also stuck in a traffic jam due to the action. Since he is still on probation, the protest could cost him his job.
All of these individual destinies and many more are suddenly connected. The tense situation threatens to escalate quickly. “Our instant fiction series ‘Aufstaut’ wants to take up the current debate about climate activism and broaden perspectives,” says a ZDF press release. The series by the screenplay and directing duo Zarah Schrade and Matthias Thönnissen is intended to invite people to take different perspectives on the climate protest.
“This dichotomy between the need to carry out the protest and compassion for the drivers is conveyed very well in the series,” reveals leading actress Valerie Stoll about “Aufstaut”. The new series will be broadcast on ZDFneo’s linear program on October 18th at 11:15 p.m. “Aufstaut” will be available in advance from September 28th in the ZDF media library.
