Torn

A perpetrator released on parole does not return. When a young woman is found murdered shortly afterwards, forensic psychiatrist Roman Mettler has to fight for his existence. He had written the expert opinion for the parole.

Roman Mettler (Martin Rapold) is an expert in the field of psychiatric forensics. He lives a manageable life with his wife, a talented violinist. Until the day a young jogger is sexually assaulted and killed. It quickly becomes clear that the suspected murderer had already committed a crime once and was on parole at the time of the murder. The expert opinion for the parole was written by Roman Mettler. The case attracts a lot of attention and is picked up by the press.

"We lock them up. You let them out again." - Also drawn into the dramatic case is Roman's childhood friend Linda Berger (Isabelle Barth). A single mother, she is a police officer whose work includes deporting rejected asylum seekers by plane to their countries of origin. She is morally condemned for this by her daughter, a teenager in her prime. When a repatriation at the airport escalates, Linda and Roman are suddenly in the same boat and wonder what on earth they are doing.

"Zwiespalt" is a film about people who take responsibility on behalf of society in two controversial and exposed areas. If a mistake happens, the consequences are drastic. How does one deal with this responsibility? How - at best - to deal with guilt?