Lubi - Ein Polizist stürzt ab

True crime in a gripping documentary format: This is the true story of Rolf L., known as Lubi, a respected Berlin narcotics officer. As head of a special unit in Görlitzer Park, he fought drug trafficking for years—until he himself became addicted after an accident on duty. To finance his cocaine addiction, Lubi slipped into crime and began working for an international car theft network. The investigation against him was spectacular: around 250 officers from the State Criminal Police Office and Europol uncovered a network responsible for over 120 crimes. In fall 2020, Lubi was sentenced to four years in prison. Since April 2023, he has been in a secure psychiatric hospital with the prospect of parole... The four-part documentary series is based on the podcast of the same name and combines documentary elements with scenic reconstructions. Exclusive interviews with Lubi himself, investigators, prosecutors, and co-defendants provide a multi-layered insight into the case. The series not only highlights the downfall of a police officer, but also the systemic weaknesses and personal breakdowns that led to this dramatic double life. “Films about law enforcement officers who become criminals always work, as we have known since the genre classic ”Bad Lieutenant" was remade in 2009. The series borrows its cinematic style from the original from the 1990s, in which Harvey Keitel plays the restless and increasingly erratic cop. Fast cuts, dark images in which blue lights flicker. Lubi, who spent just under a year in custody and then longer on the run, fits in perfectly visually. [...] The supporting characters are also well cast. Several of Rolf L.'s accomplices appear, including one of the masterminds behind the car theft ring, who is only filmed from behind but is otherwise no less colorful a character than the protagonist of the series. [...] This provides interesting insights into the inner workings of organized gangs." (Verena Mayer, in: Süddeutsche Zeitung) ---- Even as a young boy, Rolf L., known to everyone as “Lubi,” dreamed of fighting for justice. In 1997, his dream came true: he became a police officer in Berlin. When Görlitzer Park becomes a Europe-wide hotspot for drug trafficking, he volunteers for a special unit to “dry up Berlin's drug scene.” Rolf L. is extremely successful and is soon promoted to team leader. But what none of his colleagues suspect is that the police officer is himself addicted to cocaine.