CSI: THE BIRTH OF FORENSIC SCIENCE

In the late 19^th century, science emerged as a revolutionary tool in criminal investigations. Pioneered by international experts, this new approach propelled solving crimes into a brand-new era.

From Paris to London, from Graz to Buenos Aires, French pioneers Bertillon, Lacassagne and Locard, Austrian Hans Gross, Swiss Rodolphe Reiss, and Italian Cesare Lombroso developed groundbreaking methods that included fingerprinting, ballistics analysis, anthropometry, and the interpretation of physical analysis to create what is now known as forensic science.

Every criminal case became an innovative laboratory that transformed judicial investigation. Physical evidence replaced confessions as the cornerstones of truth, championed by strong personalities. Felons now engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with these first “experts” of forensic criminology, and each case advanced the body of knowledge that is still used today.

Through triumph and disappointments, this documentary exposes the rise of forensic science and how its use radically transformed criminal justice. By retracing this epic story, we’ll reveal how 19th-century discoveries solve police investigations today.