This beautifully photographed film written and directed by Matthew Fuller and Andrew McNeil is a simple, meditative piece centered on a terminally ill German man seeking redemption in the final hours of his life. As he flashes back over the choices he has made, most vividly that of the killing of an American soldier during World War II, his contemplations become our contemplations.

 

Both starkly real and notably surrealistic, "Germanity" is a quiet film in which each sound, each image and each reflection plays out as if it is etched into the very soul of this dying man. The film's ensemble cast maintains this wonderfully contemplative spirit, allowing the film to envelope you in its relatively short seven-minute playing time.

 

Filmed on an astonishingly low ultra-indie budget of $700, the production designs for "Germanity" are quite beautiful and, perhaps, even a bit too pristine given the rawness of the material. The original music from The Pax Cecilia beautifully blends with the film's tender spirit, virtually ensuring that "Germanity" will stay with you much longer than its seven minutes.