Death at La Fenice
Episode 5 of the Donna Leon TV series

GER 2003, 87 minutes
PG rating suitable for children aged twelve and over

with Uwe Kockisch, Karl Fischer, Annett Renneberg, Michael Degen, Julia Jäger, Susanna Simon, Leslie Malton, Gesine Cukrowski, Gisela Trowe and others

Director: Sigi Rothemund

The Venice opera house La Fenice is in uproar: the famous conductor Helmut Wellauer has been found dead in his dressing room. A more than obvious smell of bitter almonds indicates cyanide. Commissario Brunetti interrogates the usual suspects and is rather surprised: almost all of the conductor's colleagues had a motive for committing the murder, as the maestro was an extremely unpleasant fellow. The Commissario gradually uncovers the maestro's dark sides. He soon faces a moral dilemma as a result of his investigations... the TV adaptation of Donna Leon's debut novel Death at La Fenice was the first episode to star Uwe Kockisch as the individualistic, yet also likeable Commissario Brunetti. The first-class cast also includes Annett Renneberg as Signorina Elettra, Michael Degen as Vice Questore, and Susanna Simon as Elisabeth Wellauer. The real star of the show, however, is Venice itself.

Sat, 1 July, 22:15
Film
Chestnut Lawn (covered)