30/10/2024 - In her documentary feature debut, Rebecca Hirneise explores the effect of religious faith on her family and the personal and interpersonal consequences that follow

"I don’t like Jesus" – these heavy words are spoken within the first few minutes of God Between Us by its director, Rebecca Hirneise. They are meant to showcase the opposition she has built up to her family's strong religious beliefs. As a protégé of Ruth Beckermann, Hirneise follows in her mentor’s footsteps by exploring the socio-cultural dynamic of this status quo in her feature film debut, which had its world premiere in IFFR's Harbour in January and has now screened in the Features section of the 62nd Viennale.

Hirneise returns to the small village of Mühlacker, not far from Stuttgart, from where she originates. A life well lived here means devoting yourself to Jesus – "Jesus will save you" is a recurring theme. Those who refuse him belong to the devil, yet, as Hirneise clarifies, being devoted can still be a source of conflict. Her aunts and uncles are still divided in their interpretations of religion, having either flourished or suffered because of the strong Methodist upbringing they received from Hirneise's grandparents. 

In the first (and weaker) half of the film, Hirneise arranges a group discussion. There is Hirneise's mother, who turned away from the church, as well as her aunts and uncles who each, in their calling, are on a mission to convince everyone to let Jesus in or are healing followers in their pool. There are some who are struggling with their fear of the afterlife or who are dealing with cancer. Then there are those who believe that being devout is more important than convincing people of the cause.

The film dwells on well-known and well-trodden terrain. What proof is there? Does a person need saving? And how can different viewpoints be respected? Super8 footage of the family hiking the soft hills of Baden-Württemberg and attending religious meetings are also included. There was no social life outside of the clerical circle, Hirneise clarifies. One aunt seems to accept that, not questioning the dogma that forbids worldly entertainment. Her sister, on the other hand, seemingly breaks at the thought of all of the things she has missed out on.

While the family is by all means charming between these discussion rounds, there is feisty aggressiveness when views clash. Two members of this circle will refuse to return towards the end of the film. Later, when Hirneise clarifies that she didn’t make this film to let God or Jesus in, her uncle seems disappointed. 

Hirneise is not always sure of how to include herself in the storyline, and instead highlights the fractures in her aunts and uncles' marriages or hands the torch over to her mother, who suffered from being the black sheep of the family. This often means that the film lacks narrative precision, and just as Hirneise isn't sure what to make of these strong beliefs, the movie also remains vague in its position.

Once the filmmaker decides to move on from a pure philosophical debate and dive into the daily lives of her relatives, God Between Us becomes more concise. Its strongest moments are when she is visiting her baptist uncle and his wife. While he is talking about healing sick people and regrowing limbs, she tries to get a hold of his mysterious healer and, of course, fails. While he is telling her about healing tinctures as he is cleaning his pool, his wife confides that she isn’t interested in having her cancer “healed” that way.

There are large gaps between these people, making them lonely islands not only in opposition to non-believers but also amongst themselves. Still, the typical refusal to talk about difficult topics that can exist within families can also come in handy on the holy mission of serving Jesus in your everyday life.

God Between Us was produced by Ruth Beckermann Filmproduktion. It is distributed globally by Ruth Beckermann Filmproduktion and in Austria by Filmladen.