“The Ibiza Affair”
The incredible story of how the Strache video came about
Nicholas Ofczarek (r.) As private detective Julian Hessenthaler and David A. Hamade as Viennese lawyer Ramin Mirfakhrai in “The Ibiza Affair”
© © Sky Deutschland / W & B Television / epo film / Petro Domenigg
The new Sky series “The Ibiza Affair” tells the unbelievable genesis of a video that led to a real political scandal.
Ibiza affair, Strache affair, Ibizagate – the political scandal over a secretly shot video with the then FPÖ chairman and vice chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache (52) has numerous names. The four-part Sky miniseries opts for “The Ibiza Affair”. She tells of the spectacular case, as a result of which Strache had to resign and which brought the Austrian government down in May 2019.
That’s what the series is about
Or rather: “This is the story behind it”, as it is said at the beginning of every episode. What is meant is the unbelievable genesis of the scandal video: “Strache – you see him in Ibiza in a worn-out T-shirt, philosophizing about taking over the Kronen-Zeitung. This is complete madness”, SZ journalist Bastian Obermayer sums it up – played by Stefan Murr (45) – together in one episode.
The focal point is a meeting of two high-ranking Austrian politicians – Strache and the former FPÖ club chairman Johann Gudenus (45) – with an alleged non-Russian oligarch in the summer of 2017 in a finca on Ibiza. The video secretly recorded there will be published on May 17, 2019 by the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) and the Spiegel.
In the miniseries the story begins with the Viennese lawyer Ramin Mirfakhrai, played by the German-Lebanese actor David A. Hamade (42, “4 blocks”), who gets material leaked against Strache. The native Iranian only knows what to do with this when the xenophobic FPÖ threatens to become the election winner in Austria. As part of a research, he meets the semi-silk private detective Julian Hessenthaler – played by Nicholas Ofczarek (50, “Der Pass”) from Vienna – and hires him.
The two are considered to be the actual masterminds behind the Ibiza video, for the creation of which they gather a team in the series. Not least because of this, but also because of the background music, the style of the four-part is a bit reminiscent of the “Ocean’s” crime series from Hollywood. The series, however, is based on true events and reports from those involved. Individual actions and people are, however, fictionalized or fictitious, it is said before each episode. HC Strache denied that he had “transported sports bags full of cash in his car. Nor did he have private receipts settled as expenses by the party.”
The system of power
The plot is not told chronologically, but jumps back and forth between individual stories in different years. The most exciting of the four episodes is certainly the last, but the previous episodes show the relevant motifs of the protagonists and the backgrounds that lead to the fateful meeting in Ibiza. At crucial points, more complex issues are clarified with graphics. This also gives viewers an exciting insight into the system of power.
“It’s about the question: How can you buy a politician who bears government responsibility”, it says at one point in the series created by the Austrian director Christopher Schier (50, “Tatort: Die Amme”). According to “Director’s Note” he “chose a narrative perspective for the Sky Original production that illuminates the whole affair from a different angle”. It was not about “pointing the finger at someone”, but rather “denouncing the system of power, and at the same time tracing the mechanics that unfold on the way to power,” said Schier.
“Because politicians always overlook the fact that above all they have a moral responsibility. They should be there for the people and not put their own interests above those of the people,” warns the crime specialist and adds: “The use of power is something that can be found in every party and in every country, but that doesn’t make it any less reprehensible. “
Top-class cast ensemble
The first trailer released at the beginning of August gave a taste of the series. The other roles in the rather gloomy four-part series are also superbly cast: Strache is played by the Viennese artist Andreas Lust (54), Gudenus is portrayed by Julian Looman (36). His wife Tajana plays Cosima Lehninger (31). The Russian actress Anna Gorshkova (37) mimes the alleged oligarch niece. Patrick Güldenberg (born 1979) plays the SZ journalist Frederik Obermaier.
On October 21st and 28th, two episodes each will be shown at 8.15 p.m. on Sky Atlantic. All four episodes will also be available on demand from October 21st on the Sky Ticket streaming service and via Sky Q.