Feature film | Crime 2008 The film “Tree of Redemption” is the 717th crime scene case. Behind the seemingly peaceful name “Tree of Salvation” tragic fates are hidden: Within just one year, three Turkish girls and a young man hanged themselves on the branches of this tree in a forest near the Tyrolean market town of Telfs because they wanted to avoid a forced marriage. The tree has had this name ever since. When the young Turkish woman Ayse Ozbay was found dead there, the police initially assumed it was suicide. But during the autopsy, traces of violence were discovered and the girl’s Tyrolean boyfriend went missing. When his body is discovered in a lake with his skull crushed in, the Viennese chief inspector Moritz Eisner, sent by the Ministry of the Interior, and his Tyrolean colleague Franz Pfurtscheller have serious suspicions. The mood in the Tyrolean Telfs is explosive because the construction of a minaret that has just been completed is highly controversial. Two clans are irreconcilably opposed: with the patriarch Klaus Larcher for the Tyroleans and with Kazim Ozbay for the Turkish family at the top. The minaret is just the occasion, in reality it is about the strict separation of cultures. A pair of pliers with brownish traces that could have come from the murdered man’s blood weigh heavily on Larcher’s son Georg. A path of hope out of the spiral of violence opens up after a desperate act by Ayse’s mother Enise through the courageous intervention of her husband Kazim Ozbay. Felix Mitterer wrote the book, which is based on authentic events. Featuring: Author: Felix Mitterer Director: Harald Sicheritz Moritz Eisner: Harald Krassnitzer Inspector Franz Pfurtscheller: Alexander Mitterer Claudia: Sarah Tkotsch Ernst Rauter: Hubert Kramer Kazim Ozbay: Tayfun Bademsoy Yasemin Ozbay: Pegah Ferydoni
occupation:
Moritz Eisner: Harald Krassnitzer Claudia: Sarah Tkotsch Ernst Rauter: Hubert Kramer Kazim Ozbay: Tayfun Bademsoy Yasemin Ozbay: Pegah Ferydoni Klaus Larcher: Martin Leutgeb Georg Larcher: Christoph von Friedl Christian Larcher: Michael Steinocher Vedat Özdemir: Tim Seyfi Serkan Ozbay: Sinan Al Kuri Erkan Ozbay: Ozan Aksu Inspector Franz Pfurtscheller: Alexander Mitterer
Contributors:
Camera: Thomas Kiennast Screenplay: Felix Mitterer Director: Harald Sicheritz
Image source: ORF/Cult-Film/Bernhard Berger
Telfs, Austria – January 1, 2008
A Tree’s Dark Secret: When Suicide Became Suspicious
Table of Contents
The chilling case of “Tree of Redemption” unravels a web of violence and cultural tension in a small Austrian town.
- The film, the 717th installment in the “Crime Scene” series, centers around a series of deaths near a tree known locally as the “Tree of Salvation.”
- Initial assumptions of suicide give way to a murder investigation when evidence of violence surfaces.
- The case ignites existing tensions surrounding the recent construction of a controversial minaret in Telfs.
- Based on true events, the story explores themes of forced marriage, cultural clashes, and the search for justice.
What began as a presumed suicide quickly spiraled into a complex murder investigation in the Tyrolean market town of Telfs. The discovery of Ayse Ozbay’s body hanging from the branches of a tree—a site tragically known as the “Tree of Salvation” due to previous deaths—initially pointed to a desperate act. However, an autopsy revealed traces of violence, immediately raising suspicions.
A History of Tragedy
The “Tree of Salvation” earned its somber name after three young Turkish women and a young man took their own lives there within a single year, all seeking to escape the threat of forced marriage. The weight of this history hangs heavy as investigators delve into Ayse Ozbay’s death and the subsequent disappearance of her Tyrolean boyfriend.
When the boyfriend’s body is found in a lake, his skull crushed, Viennese chief inspector Moritz Eisner, dispatched by the Ministry of the Interior, and his Tyrolean colleague Franz Pfurtscheller are brought in to investigate. The atmosphere in Telfs is already volatile, fueled by the recent completion of a minaret that has become a lightning rod for local conflict.
Cultural Divide and Rising Tensions
The construction of the minaret has sharply divided the community, pitting patriarch Klaus Larcher and his Tyrolean supporters against Kazim Ozbay and the Turkish family. While the minaret itself is the visible point of contention, the underlying issue is a deep-seated resistance to cultural integration. A pair of pliers, bearing brownish traces potentially from the victim’s blood, falls under scrutiny, implicating Larcher’s son, Georg.
What factors contributed to the escalating tensions in Telfs? The film suggests a strict separation of cultures, exacerbated by the controversial minaret construction, created a breeding ground for conflict and suspicion.
A glimmer of hope emerges from a desperate act by Ayse’s mother, Enise, and the courageous intervention of her husband, Kazim Ozbay, potentially breaking the cycle of violence. The story, penned by Felix Mitterer, is rooted in authentic events, offering a stark and unsettling portrayal of a community grappling with tragedy and prejudice.
The film features Harald Krassnitzer as Moritz Eisner, Alexander Mitterer as Inspector Franz Pfurtscheller, Sarah Tkotsch as Claudia, Hubert Kramer as Ernst Rauter, Tayfun Bademsoy as Kazim Ozbay, and Pegah Ferydoni as Yasemin Ozbay. Martin Leutgeb portrays Klaus Larcher, with Christoph von Friedl as Georg Larcher and Michael Steinocher as Christian Larcher. Additional cast includes Tim Seyfi as Vedat Özdemir, Sinan Al Kuri as Serkan Ozbay, and Ozan Aksu as Erkan Ozbay.
Harald Sicheritz directed the film, with a screenplay by Felix Mitterer and cinematography by Thomas Kiennast.
