PARA - Wir Sind King: complex female characters which transcend stereotypes

Following the success of ‘4 Blocks’ - a male-orientated crime series set in Berlin - creators Hanno Hackfort, Bob Konrad, Richard Kropf have shifted their focus entirely with their new series ‘PARA - Wir Sind King’. Centered around four female protagonists, ‘PARA’ has been commended for its radical celebration of girl power. But the series, which appeared on Sky in April this year, does more than simply focus on women; it examines female friendships, depicting them in both an authentic and challenging light.

The series follows teenagers Jazz, Rasaq, Hajra and Fanta, lifelong friends living in Wedding, a multicultural district in Berlin. The girls passionately - at times even aggressively - support each other’s dreams, though these ambitions differ starkly.

Jazz, obstinate and loyal, hops from bar job to bar job in the hope of making a breakthrough as a dancer. Meanwhile Fanta juggles studying for her Abitur (A-Levels) and keeping on top of her single mother’s finances. Then there’s Rasaj, the trainee dental nurse, who’s on the verge of entering into an arranged marriage. Different again is Hajra, the more wayward member of the group, who struggles to control her anger. She’s just returned from a young offenders institution following an assault and is grappling with her return to the city. It is this multifaceted portrayal of its female protagonists which makes ‘PARA’ so unique.

Yet ‘PARA’ does not simply explore the girls’ friendship; the series is, after all, a thriller, driven by crime and violence. The girls are propelled into the city’s dark underbelly when they find a large supply of cocaine which they decide to sell. It isn’t long before they are confronted by the palpable threat of the city’s criminal networks.

Hajra’s words, Einmal im Leben PARA machen (making money for once in my life) will strike a chord with many viewers, with the girls’ desire for a better life motivating them to partake in their criminal dealings. It is difficult to condemn our protagonists as they are dazzled by an opportunity which promises to open doors which have been out of their reach their whole lives.

It is this human portrayal of the girls as they spiral deeper into the criminal world which makes ‘PARA’ so successful. Viewers can only helplessly observe as our protagonists, through their unstoppable loyalty for one another, are one by one sucked into criminal acts. It soon becomes clear that behind their streetwise exteriors, the girls are naive, not even realising the danger of selling the stolen drugs in the local club that they are known to frequently visit.

But most impressive is the way in which ‘PARA’ sensitively brings to light the injustices of our society. From blatant racism, like the outrageous discrimiantion Fanta is subjected to by her maths teacher, to horrifying sexual assault, the issues which ‘PARA’ explores are heartbreakingly authentic. Whilst we are shown many of the girls’ ordeals, we are not left with the feeling that the show is simply ticking off the exploration of different issues. Instead, ‘PARA’ forces the viewer to delve into and even challenge the issues in their own society.

That is not to say that ‘PARA’ is faultless. Whilst its portrayal of the girls is for the most part challenging and nuanced, the shows’ makers do at times fall for cliqued ‘girl power’ tropes. The hotel scene - a montage of the girls bouncing on the bed and having a bubble bath - in particular comes to mind, reminiscent of a typical teenage romcom rather than a thought-provoking drama. Nevertheless, this scene is only a brief, harmless interlude within the show’s complex exploration of the girls’ world.

‘PARA’ is certainly a gripping watch, plunging us into the experience of young females in the metropole and Berlin’s dark criminal underworld. Most striking of all is the sympathy we feel for the girls, as we are given the privilege of insight into their inner lives, beyond their harsh exteriors. It is this incredibly human portrayal of its four female protagonists which is likely to leave viewers challenging their own prejudices, making ‘PARA’ one of the most important watches of 2021.