The film portrays members of the group, their work, their social milieu, their relapses. It follows them to detoxification and addiction therapies in the Brandenburg clinic.

The film also describes the conflicts of the medical staff. In some cases, they couldn't do much beyond watching their patients die.

The vicious circle of work-relapse-drying out is brutal and seemingly unstoppable. There is an even worse prospect in that the special work group has to be dissolved by the end of the year if no funds can be rustled up. There is little hope that the employment office will offer any help.

Matthias Ehlert was born on May 3rd, 1967 in Berlin. He graduated from the Free University Berlin with a degree in philosophy, history and German literature. Since 1991 Matthias Ehlert has been working as a journalist, producing cultural reports for the ARD. BRAND is his first medium length documentary.

Lutz Pehnert was born on October 29th, 1961 in Berlin. Since 1992 he has been working as a journalist producing a.o. cultural reports for the ARD.