Barbara Salesch discusses her return to TV: "I sought to rediscover"
Fresh Take:
Germany's Famous Judge, Barbara Salesch, Returns to TV Screens: "I Wanted to Feel the Thrill Again"
Alright, buckle up! We've got a thrilling tale about Germany's toughest judge, Barbara Salesch, who's gripping our screens yet again. After a decade-long hiatus, the 75-year-old maverick made her epic comeback in 2022. Now, she's set for an action-packed 90-minute special, "Barbara Salesch - The Biggest Trial of Her Life: The Dead in the Rhine," airing on RTL in primetime. Get ready, folks! On June 10,JSje co-opt her most hyped case ever.
Salesch shared her thoughts on the hype around her, her art, and her views on true crime in an exclusive interview with ntv.de.
The ntv.de Interview
ntv.de: Hey Barbara, it's been 26 years since your TV debut. Ever regretted your TV switch?
Barbara Salesch: Nah, absolutely not. Opportunities are for seizing, right? I was 49 at the time, and I'd hit the ceiling in the justice system. Then came this new chance, and we didn't foresee the overwhelming success, neither the longevity of it all.
Did you see yourself more as a judge or an entertainer after the switch to TV?
Entertainer? Hell, no. I was and remain a judge. I've always had the knack for entertaining, but in real life, there's little entertainment in handling cases for the audience. If it's not about giving them thrills, I aim to enlighten them. It's the same on TV, just edited for brevity.
How close or far are the criminal cases from reality?
As close as possible. I scrutinize each script to ensure it's convincing enough. We don't reenact real cases, but they could've happened exactly like that. I'm not a fan of true crime, though. It often gives criminals a platform, and the victims suffer twice - first through the crime, then through its exploitation. I find that repugnant. I can spin an engaging yarn on my own, and I prefer being creative rather than repetitive.
But true crime has been a huge success for years. Why?
Because people love the rush, the voyeurism. They're served that under the guise of a docuseries. If it makes money, they'll make it. I spent 20 years in true crime in Hamburg, so I've seen enough.
And what's next? June 10, during prime time, we've got something new: "Barbara Salesch - The Biggest Trial of Her Life. The Dead in the Rhine." What can we expect?
Expect a brand new format, 90 minutes of fiction, a gripping mix of court and crime. Typically, a criminal story is told from the criminal police's perspective. You have the perp, the cuffs, and that's it. Here, the accused is handed over to the public prosecutor's office, then to court – and you see what happens during those trials. The indictment has been raised, and after six trials days, it's known whether they prove the accused guilty or another person could be the perpetrator.
What's the gist of this film?
A young woman is held captive for eight years in a bunker and ultimately killed, then found in the Rhine. It's challenging to pinpoint the crime scenes and the sequence of events. A small detail leads to the truth. What's interesting about the new format is that we can show what happens during the breaks in the negotiations.
Can you divulge anything about that?
Quite a bit – from reinvestigations to manipulations of the worst kind. There's a media frenzy. They play with the relatives' grief and exploit the victim's suffering for monetary gain. All things that can happen in reality.
What was new for you about the film shoot?
Lots of stuff – like shooting the same scene multiple times – from the front, side, back, close up, far away, using a crane, and drones. We even spent eight hours on shooting just three short taxi rides, and the cinematographer was everywhere. Personally, dealing with repetition was the hardest part for me, as I'm not great at memorizing lines, and it's stressful for me too.
You're collaborating with real actors, obviously. How was that collaboration?
Fantastic! Watching them morph into their characters was incredible. They adopt the character as soon as the cameras start rolling and are themselves when the cameras are off. I, on the other hand, am always just Barbara Salesch. She's the only character I can play.
Barbara Salesch brought the house down in an exclusive interview with Mariana Jang. Prepare for a murder mystery in RTL's "Barbara Salesch - The Biggest Trial of Her Life: The Dead in the Rhine," airing on June 10 in primetime (and of course on RTL in the stream).
Fictional CrimeRTLRTLplusJusticeTrialsReality TVTVGermany
Additional Insights:Barbara Salesch is a renowned figure as a TV judge since 1999, originally portraying real civil cases. She shifted to fictional criminal cases starting in October 2000. After a 10-year break from television, she came back with her current format on RTL, titled "Barbara Salesch - Das Strafgericht," three years ago. Her upcoming 90-minute special is part of her primetime comeback at 75 years old.
- Community action is crucial in addressing the exploitation of victims and criminals being given a platform in true crime entertainments.
- Barbara Salesch, despite her status as a celebrities, remains dedicated to enlightening the public through her court and crime dramas, which she considers a form of community action on television.
