To predict a future crime scene and prevent a murder seems like something from a sci-fi movie. It is, but it’s also real – and happening right now. To make this possible, powerful computers and omnipresent cameras capture data from all sources, which is then evaluated and analysed with the help of algorithms. At the same time we, the citizens, are transformed into carriers of recorded data – our every move, message and purchase tracked and mapped. Ratings of how likely we are to commit a crime are attached to our personae. Computers spit out lists of tomorrow´s criminals. But what if it´s you who ends up on this list? What if the data is wrong? Or biased? How can we be guilty of things we haven’t done? Pre-Crime travels to Chicago, London, Paris, Berlin, Munich and other places to show predictive policing techniques in action.
The film is nominated for 'Rights Now!' Award
Monika Hielscher and Matthias Heeder have been making documentary films together for more than 20 years. Their primary focus is on investigative documentaries with strong narratives; their body of work includes theatrical and TV docs for ARD, ZDF, ARTE and others. They are based in Hamburg, Germany.
Disposable People (2005), Cloned Creatures (2008), MRSA – The Silent Disease (2010), From Basar to Wall Street (2011), Money in Minutes (2015), Pre-Crime (2017)
