ON THE TRAIL OF EVIL
Is the brain of psychopaths different or do we all have the capacity to be evil?
A journey to the centre of the brain.
They're charming, they lie without the slightest scruples and they are capable of manipulating their environment. Psychopaths murder and rape without regrets and can still come across as the nicest people in the world. But what is going on in their minds? That question that has been pondering neuroscientists and forensic psychiatrists to this day, is the topic of this film.
Evil fascinates us, as we can see from many examples in film, art and literature. It seems to be devoid of morals and law. Centuries ago, anatomists tried to open the human skull and penetrate deep inside the brain. Today, state-of-the-art appliances enable us to scan the brain to make processes visible inside of it.
The documentary features a series of experts showing their theories, their examinations and their results around the question: how decent men can become ruthless murderers.
Director: Karin Jurschick
DoP: Dieter Stürmer
Sound: Jule Cramer
Editor: Marc Schubert
Production Manager: Monika Mack, Rolf Bremenkamp, Christian Schwalbe
Producer: Birgit Schulz
Commissioning editor: Ann-Christin Hornberger (ZDF/arte)
