Death in Mombasa

It's been a year since Moritz Wagner and his daughter Aluna turned their backs on Kenya and moved to Hamburg. They searched in vain for Farrah, Moritz's wife and Aluna's mother. Moritz's strenuous, sometimes traumatic job as a war photographer had put a lot of strain on their marriage. Farrah took some time off and disappeared without a trace. Now news reaches Moritz from the Kenyan police that his wife has been recovered dead from her car in Kenya. Shortly after, Farrah's sister Pascale suggests that Farrah was not the victim of an accident, but was murdered. Moritz sets off for Kenya. But when he wants to meet his sister-in-law, she dies in front of him. Moritz is now considered a suspect and has to justify himself to the Kenyan police and flee. Together with Caroline, a shirt-sleeved used car saleswoman and good friend of Farrah, Moritz sets out to find the secret behind Farrah's death. The trail leads them both to the Congo.

Directed by Jörg Lühdorff, Death in Mombasa leans on a strong ensemble — Heino Ferch, Katharina Schlothauer, Barbara Philipp — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about crime titles of 2024.