MDR is once again investigating in Dresden. Since July 7, Cornelia Gröschel (38) and Martin Brambach (58) have been in front of the camera for the new "Tatort" with the working title "Durch deine Augen". Joining them once again is Lilja van der Zwaag (30) in the role of detective trainee Milla Brandis. The episode is directed by Florian Baxmeyer based on a script by Michael Comtesse and Jan Cronauer.
A Discovery That Gets Under Your Skin
The case begins at the gates of Dresden, where Detective Leonie Winkler (Gröschel) and Police Commissioner Peter Michael Schnabel (Brambach) are called to a serious accident. On the cargo bed of a van, they discover the body of Tony Döring (Elmo Anton Stratz), who was blind from birth. The young man's eyes have been removed.
What initially appears to be a gruesome isolated case quickly takes on a different dimension. The investigation leads to Dr. Nadine Pinkert (Sina Martens), who heads a Dresden start-up. Her team has developed a retinal chip designed to restore sight to blind people. This suddenly raises the question of whether industrial espionage is behind the murder.
Two Leads, One Growing Suspicion
Meanwhile, Milla Brandis (van der Zwaag) works her way through a secret chat history that the victim had with an investigative journalist. Winkler's investigation results, however, incriminate psychologist Miriam "Mimi" Ziegler (Luise Finckh). Ziegler had provided therapeutic support to Tony. When a second death shakes up the police investigation, the situation intensifies. Winkler and Schnabel get closer to the truth, but now they also come into the perpetrators' crosshairs.
Ron Helbig (33) has also been part of the ensemble since 2021 as medical examiner Dr. Jonathan Himpe. According to MDR, other roles feature Yassin Trabelsi, Roel Dirven, Hanna Hilsdorf, Prince Chughtai, and Jonas Roth, among others.
Two Crime Dramas Already Filmed: "Tatort: Das, was du zurücklässt" and "Tatort: Löschen"
The character of detective trainee Milla Brandis has not been part of the Dresden team for long. According to MDR, filming for the episode with the working title "Das, was du zurücklässt", in which van der Zwaag made her debut as Brandis, took place in fall 2025. In that case, a woman is run over by a taxi at night and the taxi driver is subsequently found beaten to death. The crime drama is scheduled to air in 2026.
Most recently, the Dresden team was in front of the camera starting at the end of May for the case "Tatort: Löschen". The focus is on a murdered content moderator who professionally filtered hate speech, violent videos, and footage of real crimes from the internet.
New Cases Despite Budget Constraints
The production of "Tatort: Durch deine Augen" falls into an uncertain phase for the crime series. In May, it was announced that MDR would suspend production of new "Tatort" and "Polizeiruf" episodes for three years due to budget cuts. However, the broadcaster announced that completed and contractually fixed films already exist and will be broadcast in the coming years. "Durch deine Augen" is likely among those contractually fixed productions that MDR is still implementing before the freeze.
Filming will continue until August 5 in Dresden, Leipzig, and the surrounding area. MDR has not yet announced a broadcast date.
Cornelia Gröschel and Martin Brambach Express Dismay
Cornelia Gröschel and Martin Brambach addressed the budget cuts in an open letter on Instagram and expressed that they are "still dismayed". While they understand the broadcaster's difficulties, film productions cannot simply be turned on and off. If nothing is produced for three years, structures built up over years will be destroyed, the two warned.
Martin Brambach has been with the team since its founding in March 2016, and Cornelia Gröschel joined in April 2019.
