German businessman, Thomas Niedermayer, was kidnapped and killed by the IRA in Northern Ireland in 1973. It was almost seven years before police discovered his body and discovered his fate. But, the anguish and uncertainty they felt during the years he was missing took a terrible toll on his wife and two children. Unable to live with the mental and emotional pain, all three would later kill themselves.
His only granddaughters knew nothing of their family’s terrible history, it was kept hidden for decades with horrific consequences. Now they are determined to uncover devastating truths, ensuring that their own children are the first generation to live without the burden of a legacy that has decimated their family.
Their journey takes them from Australia to South Africa, Germany, Ireland and eventually to the man that killed their grandfather.
There are two versions avaiable:
BBC Version - 1 x 82' - Face Down: The Killing of Thomas Niedermayer
RTE / ARTE version - 1 x 50' - Face Down: The Disappearance of Thomas Niedermayer