NEBEL IM AUGUST/ FOG IN AUGUST
Germany, 2016, 121 minutes, Colour.
Ivo Pietzcker, Sebastian Koch,Thomas Schubert, Fritzi Haberlandt, Henriette Confunius, Branko Samarovski, David Bennent, Julie Herman.
Directed by Kai Wessel.
This film is based on a novel – which may have explained its title better than the film does (or doesn’t).
Nevertheless, this is a very impressive film, a 21st-century German look at World War II and the Nazi program of eugenics and elimination of the sick and in the weak by euthanasia.
The action takes place over a few months in summer 1944, a young gypsy boy, Ernst (Ivo Pietzcker very convincing) is brought to an institution – and he hopes his gypsy father will be able to come and get him, although when he does, the father has no permanent residence and is not able to take his son.
The audience is shown life in the institution day by day, a very competent and gentlemanly doctor-manager, Sebastian Koch, so presentable that he does not look like a man who administers programs for death daily. This is also true of the nurse that he employs, Henriette Confunius, open charm but ruthless in her administration of barbiturates in raspberry juice.
The film focuses on a number of the children, their weak state, debilitated, having seizures, mental disabilities – and their gradually being eliminated. There are some criticism from a nun, Sister Sophia (Fritzi Haberlandt) whose conscience is touched and who seeks advice from the local Catholic bishop who suggests she stay in the institution, a contact with the church which disapproves of these procedures.
As a lively young lad, Ernst becomes involved in the work, made assistant to Mr Witt who is in charge of dissections (and even sending excised brains from their children for further research). He makes a number of friends, participate in the work, is able to feed a little girl who won’t accept food from anyone else, becomes involved with the Sister in hiding her from the authorities – but, sadly, given the situation, orders from Berlin, it is inevitable that the film ends with Ernst’s death.
However, there are final moments of triumph when Nandl, the little girl whom he had befriended, tells the assembled dining room that Ernst has gone with his father to America and is safe – a moment of happy protest and the rejoicing of those in the dining room.
1. A 21st-century memoir of World War II? Euthanasia and elimination of weak and sickly citizens? Purification of the Aryan race?
2. The title? The summer of 1944?
3. The institutions, old buildings, churches and religious buildings, the grounds, the work in the fields, the woods? The interiors, the dormitories, dining room, offices? The setting for the killing of the weak and the children? Audience response to such barbarity?
4. The film showing the events in the characters and then, later in the film, the meeting of the authorities, the doctor presenting his case, the starvation diet, the elimination of the weak and the children, the gathering and the applause? The ethos of the Third Reich?
5. The focus on Ernst? His story – and the sad ending? Gypsy, his father in the concentration camp, the dreams of going to America with his father? In the institution, examined by the doctor, his head shaved? Working the fields? Making friends with the other boys, the various clashes? The routines of life, playing football with Tony and Tony’s death following? Feeding Amelia? The friendship with Nandi? The interviews with the doctor? His being assigned as help to Mr Witt? With Sister Sophia? With the nurse? His father coming to see him, unable to take him away, his father not having residence?
6. The character of Ernst, his age, forthright, helping, his kindnesses, the doctor and the discussions, concern about the children dying and their disappearance? Spirit in Amelia away with Sister Sophia? Hiding outside the window? His raising questions? Under suspicion – and his death?
7. The doctor in charge, pleasant-looking, good mannered, not sinister -looking, bureaucrat? His ideology and the elimination of the weak and the sick? In practice, the barbiturates for the children? The starvation diet, watered-down vegetable soup, three times a day? The practice of euthanasia? Officialdom and having to do the deaths in secret? Documentation about pneumonia? His interactions with Sister Sophia, her objections, her choices? The introduction of the nurse?
8. The range of children, their age, weaknesses, sickness? The adults, disabled, deformed? Life in the institution, meals, dormitories? Work in the fields? Play? Their personalities, their deaths? The funerals?
9. Sister Sophia, the work of the church, her moral dilemmas, discussions with the doctor? Going to the Bishop? The Bishop asking her to stay, as a kind of protest, to do her best? His comments about the Pope and quiet help? The church existing under Nazi authoritarianism? The further confrontations with the doctor? Helping Amelia? Her death?
10. The nurse, young, smart, attractive, her ideology, the raspberry juice with the barbiturates? In dealing with children? Accountability to the director? Allowing Ernst to feed Amelia? Amelia spirited away? Her continued work, ruthlessness?
11. The young assistant, not agreeing with the euthanasia, subserve into the doctor, orders? Dealing with the children, Ernst with his watch?
12. Mr Witt, work in the institution, orders from the doctor, the dissection of the bodies, the taking out of the brains, sending them for further research? His bonding with Ernst?
13. The end, Ernst and his death? Nandl and her friendship and activities with Ernst, coming into the dining room, telling everyone that Ernst had gone to America with his father
– and everybody rejoicing, not eating their food and its hitting the roof? A protest?
14. The final notes, information about the euthanasia program, continuity after surrender? The various sentences given to the persons concerned?
15. A film of the 1940s, looked at from the 21st-century? Relevant to health and welfare issues of the present?
