Upstream

Journalist Sophie Bergmann is working on a legacy study on the effects of Hartz IV on society. She is increasingly reluctant to report on the symptoms of the labor market reform in isolation from its causes. At an EU conference in Brussels, she witnesses the German finance minister being put under pressure by a stranger. When she accidentally sees the same man getting into the car of the editor-in-chief of her newspaper, Sophie is irritated. With the help of Matti, the IT specialist from the editorial office, she begins to investigate.

Directed by Michel Dulisch, Upstream leans on a strong ensemble — Franziska Hartmann, Gerhard Fehn, Klaus Nierhoff — 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 screen titles of 2021.