There have been many enigmatic unsolved cases throughout history, since, although the police do their best to track down those involved, there are people who have circumvented even the most specialized techniques to decipher the mystery of their actions. This premise is based on “The Last Days of Peter Bergmann”, a 20-minute Irish short film produced in 2013 by director Ciaran Cassidy, and which reflects a harsh social reality that we try to ignore, loneliness.
What is told in the short?
The short film tells the true story of a reserved older man who comes to stay at the Sligo City Hotel, going unnoticed by everyone. However, on the third day, he disappears and is found dead on the shore of a nearby beach. Each scene unfolds with various witnesses of the mysterious man's presence at the hotel, in the city, on the bus, on the beach, and among other places he visited during what appeared to be his vacation weekend.
As the testimonies about the protagonist are unleashed before knowing his final intentions, each piece fits around to the visual evidence from the security cameras of the building where he stayed and the streets he walked so calmly.
Why tell this story in documentary format?
One of the keys to the short having the impact that the true story deserved was to present it as a documentary. The humanity of the words delivered by the people who witnessed the last days of Bergmann keeps the viewer aware of the harshness of an authentic experience, even if it seems like fiction due to the extraordinary nature of its outcome.
As we as an audience learn that the man lied about his true identity, that he slowly got rid of all his belongings personal and that he sent his last letters someone who was never discovered, there are more questions than answers about the case.
The game of supposition, based on what was discovered later, only exposes to us an incomplete, probably painful and difficult story of someone who was a wake-up call about the mental health of the population of the small townThanks to the back-and-forth of a narrative mysticism, combined with an objective basis for the police, the story touches us deeply, better than any fantasy or melodramatic film.
What distinguishes this mystery from so many others?
The everyday nature, the simplicity, and the slowness with which the story is woven together is what makes it stand out from so many other documentaries and short films about unsolved mysteries or morbid police cases. Here there is no violence, no eccentric criminal minds, just a man, alone and elderly, living a quiet journey as if it were routine. There are no desperate heroic intentions in the face of imminent death, nor great acts to make people feel better. Bergmann was remembered, but quite the opposite. The man himself has kept a low profile, almost seeming to have made his existence invisible in the videos that portray him. Just him, his purple bag, and his elegant suit.
The reasons why he took his own life seemed to indicate physical and emotional pain. The short film itself reveals that the autopsy on his body revealed advanced cancer that was not being treated or mitigated with pills. After his death, there was no way to identify him, since he lied in his personal information when checking into the hotel and had no contacts who would ask about him. His lonely death and his desperate and planned attempt to disappear at all costs is what makes this enigma so painfully interesting.
What conclusions can we draw from the mini-documentary?
Reflecting through the history of alleged Peter BergmannThere's much to highlight, both positive and negative. On the one hand, much of the positive that can be deduced from the short film is related to the character of the protagonist, who lived his final moments with kindness, calm, and appreciation for life's small feats.
One of the things that most draws the attention of those who testify in the video is the simplicity with which the older man existed during his short stay in Sligo Town, how he always dressed elegantly and was polite to everyone around him, from the hotel staff to the couple who greeted him on the beach. He never lost his temper or made a big deal out of it, just making sure his quiet existence didn't bother anyone.
On the other hand, the negative remains with us, the audience and all of us who continue to live after Bergmann; because of how radical his end had to be for us to better understand part of his story and his enigmatic actions. Loneliness, a characteristic so deeply rooted in today's society, invaded the life of the protagonist, and makes us wonder if perhaps a kind word or a little chat from the people around him would have been better. Sligo Town could have made a change of opinion to man.
Perhaps a little attention or concern from those around him could have helped and supported him through all that he was suffering. Our social individualism It is heavy and uncomfortable when these deep and impactful audiovisual reflections arrive, and if this short film helps the population become more aware of this, this great tribute to life will have been worth it.
Image: YouTube
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