In the face of crime (2008)

This 10 part multi-layered, rich and fast paced TV series follows the stories of characters in and around the Russian mafia in Berlin, especially the story of the 2 main characters Marek and Jelena - one the part of a pair of cops and himself of Russian descent who is looking for the murderer of his brother, the other lured with her best friend to Germany in the promise of work but ending up as a prostitute. They both get drawn into a power struggle in the mafia, face police corruption, the drama of human trafficking and much more. The series touches on the complexity of crime syndicates and society here in the example of the metropolis of Berlin. On the individuals levels is shows the quest for happiness in life and the different choices people make. This series not only catches the attention the through the excellent and complex story telling but the high quality production and very excellent cast (think of this German series as HBO or BBC like).