Introduction
I am grateful to have received this opportunity to write to you to request for funds for my upcoming documentary film project. The film will be based on a story of one individual who believes he has the key to unravel the mystery surrounding the attempt on Hitler’s life by one Georg Elser. I have done enough research and gained valuable knowledge on this project. This film will form a very important part of the history and commemoration of the resistance to the National Socialist Regime.
Subject of the planned documentary film
The film’s topic will be “Gustav and his contribution to unraveling the mystery surrounding Georg Elser’s attempt on Hitler’s life” this story is about one old man known as Gustav Weimer, who claims to have been present during the resistance to the National socialist regime. He recalls his experience in the dark days of Germany, the days of struggle for liberation from National Socialism (Harrison 1987, 23). Gustav Weimer now aged 95 was a friend of Georg Elser who attempted to assassinate Hitler in November 1939. I am convinced that his information is vital to unravel the mystery surrounding Georg Elser motive to assassinate Hitler (Thomsett 1997, 34; Klemperer 1992, 28)
Gustav and Georg lived in the same neighborhood in Wurttemberg. He first met Georg Elser in a doss house in 1929 during the hard economic times. Gustav was born in a conservative Christian family in Wurttemberg. His parents made sure that the children grew up properly and they would always give them moral lessons and the family faithfully attended a small cathedral in the town. Fed up with this way of living, Gustav who was then a teenager left home and went to stay with his uncle in Munich. His father would later fetch him and take him back to school. He later dropped out of school and often found comfort in lazy broodings frequented by unemployed idling youth. It is during one of these occasions that he met Georg Elser, unemployed youngster in his 20s. They become acquainted with each other and their friendship grew in the years to follow and he was well aware of Georg’s extremist ideas, his involvement with the KPD in 1933 (Gregor 1991, 45), frustrations in life and how he ended up being a carpenter. He speaks of how Georg hated Hitler’s Nationalistic ideals and how it culminated in the plot to assassinate him in 1939 (Hoffman 1996, 59).
Gustav who currently lives in Vienna is very old and bedridden but is willing to play his role in making history by offering to retrace his steps in a documentary to shade more light on the motives of Georg Elser to assassinate Hitler which until now remains a mystery (Hassell 1971, 56).
Justification
The information gained from this documentary will be used to unravel the mystery surrounding Georg Elser’s attempt on Hitler’s life and the film will be played on the day of commemoration of this period on the local T.V channels and the internet. The film will be of great value to Germany and the world as we commemorate this difficult period in history. This period marks a very dull period in the history of mankind and it’s our obligation to carry out activities aimed at making sure that nothing of the sort happens again (Niven 2002, 32).
Structure and elements of the film
The film will start with a brief History on resistance to National socialist regime. This will be followed by a short history on Gustav Weimer. A brief session of the Nazi Germany will be screened. The civilians’ life under this regime will be highlighted so as to understand reasons of Hitler’s popularity. Gustav will then be introduced in his humble residence in Berlin. The background voice will be highlighting his life history during the Hitler regime. The third part will consist of extensive interview and filming of the various places involved as Gustav explains how they are involved. A brief interview will follow the footage of Gustav’s life. Its aim will be introducing Gustav currently. A trip to the relevant cites will also be necessary. Together with the filming crew, Gustav will move from one site to the next while highlighting each event that took place. The footage will end by the site of the attempt on Hitler. From here, Gustav will give a detailed account of every step of the attempt. The documentary will end with Gustav’s explanation of why his friend decided to make the move.
Anticipated challenges
This filming task, just like any other filming project is not safe from different challenges. The anticipated challenges to this documentary film may come in different forms. The first major challenge is to move Gustav around as we visit the various places mentioned in the story. The second challenge is brought about by the fact that he is too old and I am afraid that he may be suffering from mental degenerative diseases which may affect his ability to recall events properly. Other challenges may arise in the course of the filming process and this may include; lighting of the various remote places that are now neglected and moving the crew to the different areas.
Conclusion
Therefore I wish to request the German film agency to consider the above project and provide adequate funds to carry out the task. In consideration of all the activities and the anticipated challenges the amount of money arrived at to complete the filming is about 1 million US dollars. However, the filming agency is welcome to do its own budget and recommend accordingly.
References
Gregor. 1991. A Conservative against Hitler: Ulrich von Hassell, Diplomat in imperial Germany, the Weimar Republic, and the Third Reich, 1881–1944 New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1991
Harrison, Martin.1987. History in the making: world conflict in the 20th century, London: McMillan Education
Hoffmann, Peter. 1996. The History of the German Resistance 1933–1945, London: McGill-Queen’s University Press
Klemperer, Von.1992 German Resistance against Hitler: The Search for Allies Abroad 1938–1945. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Niven, Bill. 2002. Facing the Nazi Past: United Germany and the Legacy of the Third Reich, London: Routledge.
Thomsett, Michael. 1997. The German Opposition to Hitler: the Resistance, the Underground, and Assassination Plots, 1938–1945 Jefferson, N.C: London: McFarland
Hassell, Von. 1971 The Von Hassell Diaries 1938–1944 the Story of the Forces Against Hitler inside Germany Doubleday, Reprint Greenwood Press, L.