Zeitgeist - Lilly's NYU Thesis Film

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A Film about Political Consciousness in Today's World.

What is ZEITGEIST

"The defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time."

The Film:

When an Austrian backpacker is kidnapped by Neo-Nazis in the south of the US and forced to translate Nazi memorabilia, she makes up ridiculous translations in an attempt to protect her moral conscience.

Short Synopsis:

Eva, an Austrian hitchhiking through the US, is kidnapped by an elderly man named John. He hopes to cheer up his wife Betsy, by forcing Eva to translate Nazi memorabilia that they believe might get them closer to Hitler. Eva must navigate getting out of the situation alive, while also realizing that the book is a complete fake. To protect her moral conscience and save herself she mistranslates the book and to her surprise, it’s working. But not for long. They are interrupted by the couple’s middle aged son Karl, who distrusts Eva immediately. Eva lies become bolder to cover her tracks and start causing an argument, which is interrupted when the doorbell unexpectedly rings.

Director's Statement:

Growing up in Austria, I have been acutely aware of the consequences of extremism and the profound ways it has shaped my culture. Austria, defined in part by the horrors of genocide, carries a legacy of shame for what our ancestors have done. While most of the country acknowledges this history with remorse, others embrace it fearlessly, forcing us to confront the difficult question of our responsibility today in preventing history from repeating itself. This question feels especially urgent given the current surge in extremism in Europe and America—a stark reminder that we have not learned the lessons of the past as fully as we should have.

For those of us who are privileged, there can be an ignorance of the responsibility we bear or an inability to see how our actions, or inactions, might feed into extremism. Many in my generation struggle to understand how people succumbed to such hatred or how to reckon with the atrocities committed by our countrymen, often with willful ignorance or passive complicity. Unsure how to process this history, we’ve developed a dark sense of humor to grapple with these truths. Comedy, with its ability to disarm and provoke reflection, offers a vital way to heal and engage with the severity of these topics.

As an Austrian, I believe it is my responsibility to address the rise of modern extremism, especially in ways that allow audiences to critically examine their privilege and actions while engaging with these issues through comedy. I am eager to explore this intersection of history, responsibility, and humor in my work this spring and to continue shaping these ideas in post-production after graduating this May.

Director/Writer:

Lilly Summhammer is a senior and an international student at NYU Tisch studying Film and Television with a minor in Cinema Studies. She has worked in almost every aspect of a film's life cycle, having worked as a Development Intern at Assemble Media and Josephson Entertainment. In the production realm, she has worked as a Camera Trainee in Vienna Austria. In the last stage of the cycle, she has volunteered at the NYFF for the past three years. She also has directed a few short films while at NYU. She’s excited to be working on her final project while at school, combining her heritage and her passion for dark comedy.

Director of Photography:

Alexandra Mettler is an NYC and London based DoP, originally from Eugene, OR. She works primarily in narrative and commercial filmmaking, and is the 2024 recipient of the ARRI Volker Bahnnemann Award for achievement in cinematography.

Producers:

Morgan Bramwell is a senior at NYU Tisch studying Film/Television Production with a minor in the Business of Entertainment. She has produced short films and led two NYU sketch comedy groups, recently selling out a show at the Magnet Theater. Currently juggling scripts, including writing and producing her own play, Morgan combines her passion for storytelling with experience in talent management, brand ideation, and commercial pre-production.

Makaio Toft is a writer/producer who is drawn to stories that demand social change through heartfelt narratives. They are an inch away from holding a BFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU Tisch, and their work has previously been seen at IRT Theater, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and won a category in the All American High School Film Festival. Beyond producing Zeitgeist, they are currently producing their thesis play and interning at Killer Films.

Adeline Ferolo is a senior at NYU Tisch majoring in Dramatic Writing with minors in Spanish and Producing. Adeline enjoys contributing to stories that feature the voices of characters not often portrayed on screen. Right now, she is working on a short doc in Brooklyn exploring the stigma of stripping and pole dancing. She is also the co-founder and lead producer of Rhapsody Riot Play Fest, the first music-inspired short works festival at Tisch!