Seele aus Stein (Soul of Stone) is a short but sweet six-minute short film from Taylor Zann, an inspirational and reflective piece about the adventure seeking Bernd Arnold, a 67-year-old rather iconic figure known as "the barefoot climber," a man who has logged over 980 first ascents in his 67 years of life. Facing the phase of decline in life, in this short he reflects on the power of psyche in overcoming fear.

As a bit of an adventurist myself, though I've never gone for climbing, I found myself enchanted by this brief yet involving tale and the way Zann captures both the beauty of Arnold's experience and the grace and power in his words. While Arnold is facing his decline, Soul of Stone with anyone whose ever faced an obstacle and faced that sucker down. It's a sort of "no excuses' short, an approach common for Rainier Films, the group behind the film and a group that emphasizes "playing in the mud" and getting out there and going for it.

You can watch the film in its entirety above this review. It's a German language film with English subtitles. Go ahead. Be captivated.

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic