The CumEx Files

ended

"The aim of this proposal is to produce a high-quality fictional television series showcasing the largest tax heist in Europe's history. Named as ""The CumEx Files"", the show consists of eight episodes, each 45 minutes long. It is inspired by the profound disclosure of a journalistic network in Europe about how high-profile lawyers, rich investors, and the biggest banks in the world robbed Europe of at least 150 billion Euros – and how some got away with it. We aim to tell the fictionalized story of the so-called Cum-Ex scandal in an entertaining way that appeals to a broad audience. The plot of our mini-series is based on the CumEx scandal events that spanned over twenty years between 2002 to 2022. A meticulously planned and executed network of traders, lawyers, banks, and affluent investors allegedly stole the enormous sum by indulging in speculation and fraud. It caused substantial losses to several European countries, with the five worst-hit ones reportedly losing over €62.9 billion. Germany is the most impacted country, with a loss of around €36.2 billion. The storyline covers the extensive real-life fraud, with an emphasis on how some perpetrators escaped justice, making it an engrossing financial crime thriller. It is “The Big Short” meets “Fargo – the movie” in a European context.  Only a narrative that is transnational and European in scope can fully capture the magnitude of this historic scandal which German X Filme Creative Pool GmbH (X Filme) and Danish True Content Entertainment ApS (True Content) have developed with German head writer Jan Schomburg. The project is also developed in collaboration with episode writers Astrid Øye from Denmark and Pål Sletaune from Norway, and Danish documentary director and journalist Mads Brügger serves as creative producer. The project is developed with support from ZDF in Germany and DR in Denmark and with Creative Media Slate funding. We already received production funding from Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg. "