Fog in August

Ernst Lossa is transferred to a grim mental institution in Nazi Germany in 1944, where his reputation as a troublemaker precedes him. He comes under the watchful eye of Dr. Veithausen and begins to adjust to the new ward rules. The environment foreshadows the presiding atmosphere of control and impending euthanasia.

Central authorities shift the decision-making power over euthanasia to individual institutions, placing Dr. Veithausen in direct control of the killings. Sister Kiefer, newly transferred from Hadamar, is willing to exterminate child patients with barbiturates, while Head nurse Sophia works to shield the children from poisoning. The hospital staff dynamic becomes the battleground for life and death.

Ernst clings to the hope that his father will bring him home to America, but his discharge is denied because Christian Lossa has no permanent address after his release from a concentration camp. The prospect of returning home is dimmed as bureaucratic obstacles block his exit from the institution. The dream of America becomes a fragile thread that sustains him in captivity.

Ernst befriends Nandl, a fellow patient, and the two quickly sense Veithausen's deadly agenda. Their budding friendship becomes a source of solidarity as they start to discuss ways to survive and possibly escape. The bond also makes the threat of murder feel closer and more personal.

Veithausen, guided by the logic of racial hygiene, devises a slow starvation method by feeding boiled vegetable soup stripped of nutrients. The plan aims to satisfy the Nazi authorities while quietly erasing patients over time. His method formalizes the kill-chain within the institution.

Ernst and Nandl begin to discuss an escape, weighing the risks and the possible routes out of the hospital. They plot a cautious path that would avoid the ward's surveillance and the guards' attention. The idea remains dangerous but tempting as a last chance at freedom.

Not long after, Ernst plans an escape during an air raid, seeing the chaos as cover to slip away. He prepares himself and his friend for a dangerous attempt against the institutional barriers. The plan hinges on the distraction of the bombardment.

The air raid triggers a violent sequence: a nearby bomb shower creates debris that injures Nandl and interrupts the escape. In the aftermath, Sister Sophia dies following the funeral, underscoring the brutal cost of the institution's euthanasia regime. The tragedy hardens Ernst's resolve to confront Veithausen.

After the events, Ernst openly accuses Veithausen of murder, challenging the doctor's calculated killings. The accusation exposes the moral rot at the heart of the hospital's operations. The ward tension tightens as residents watch the conflict escalate.

Veithausen orders Ernst's death, a deed carried out by either Paul Hechtle or Sister Kiefer, though both deny responsibility. The ambiguity around the killer reflects the complicity and fear that pervades the staff. The order marks the end of Ernst's resistance in the institution.

In the days that follow, those accused deny being the killer. The staff's attempts to absolve themselves highlight the chilling culture of silence within the institution. The truth behind Ernst's death remains contested and obscured by fear.

In the days that follow, Nandl informs the other patients that Ernst has finally made it to America, a message that gives some hope to the ward. The report is greeted with mixed emotions, ranging from relief to disbelief. It becomes a fixture of the ward's shared myth and coping mechanism.