The Tunnel

Historian William Frederick Kohler is nearing completion of a years-long study of Germany’s guilt and innocence during the Nazi era. However, rather than writing a preface to his work, he begins writing his own story - about his crimes, failed marriage, unfulfilled desires, hatred, and disillusionment. Concealing the manuscript from his wife, Kohler secretly begins digging a tunnel beneath his house. Gradually, as he digs farther underground, he also descends into the deepest layers of his own memory and consciousness. Through Kohler’s recollections, his inner contradictions, repressed desires, sense of guilt, and troubled relationship with the world around him are brought to light. His personal past becomes intertwined with historical tragedy, raising questions about the nature of evil, human responsibility, and the ability to confront one’s own guilt.