Gegenwart, is a documentary about a crematorium in the Rhineland. It is not a film about how a society deals with death, but rather a survey into its business and the everyday experiences of the people who work in it. It has no dialogue or commentary and, instead, observes through the eyes of the cameraman, Robert Nickolaus. Gegenwart enters an obscure world with eyes wide open – surprised and fascinated, eager to observe and eager to learn. Heise approaches his subject with the curiosity of a child and the focus of an adult.