Kekilli did not fade away. She doubled down on her craft, earning critical acclaim in German cinema.
Notably, she also crossed over into international productions. She appeared in the Finnish film Putoavia enkeleitä (Falling Angels, 2008) and the Swedish crime thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) in a minor role. Yet, it was her return to German television and cinema that solidified her reputation. The crime procedural Tatort (Crime Scene) is a German institution, and Kekilli joined the cast as Commissioner Sarah Brandt. For millions of German viewers, this mainstream redefined her image from controversial figure to reliable, respected police detective. Kekilli did not fade away
: The film won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, and Sibel received the Lola for Best Actress She appeared in the Finnish film Putoavia enkeleitä