New World Cup film

Germany's World Cup victory in Brazil already seems like a distant memory. As those of us in the northern hemisphere edge deeper into winter, the sun-soaked stadiums of Salvador, Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro feel exactly like what they are: half a world away.

Perhaps the chance to relive some of the big moments from the tournament, not to mention the glorious sights Brazil has to offer, is what makes the prospect of watching "Die Mannschaft" so enticing.

The film covers the German national team's 2014 World Cup campaign from start to finish, beginning with its training camp in Italy and ending with the celebrations on the Fan Mile in Berlin. The production team was given access to the players and backroom staff throughout the tournament, with every detail caught on camera.

The result is an intimate look at the entire operation that brought Germany its fourth world title.

Beaming with pride

It is an achievement that has yet to sink in for some of the players. Defender Per Mertesacker spoke to DW on the red carpet ahead of the premiere. He told us he still can't quite grasp the fact that he, along with his former teammates in the German national team, is a world champion.

He added that he hoped watching the film and seeing the key moments on screen several months on would make it all easier to comprehend. Other members of the victorious squad admitted they were excited to see themselves featured in a film, a strange feeling even for people who play live in front of tens of thousands of fans every week.

Mertesacker himself sums up "Die Mannschaft" rather nicely in a line featured in the film itself. He was asked about an uncharacteristically tetchy response he gave to a reporter during an interview after Germany's second round win over Algeria.

Clearly feeling that the players were being treated simply as footballers and not as human beings, Mertesacker said: "It showed the team was not just alive on the pitch, but off it as well." "Die Mannschaft" gives viewers an insight into the two spheres of life that existed for the players and staff before, during and after the tournament.

It features footage of all seven Germany matches, including every goal that Joachim Löw's team scored in Brazil. Other major incidents, such as the flashpoint in Germany's opening game that saw Portuguese defender Pepe sent off, bring memories of the tournament flooding back.

The segments showing victories against Portugal and Brazil act as a reminder of the sheer excitement that came from watching the team play. The film also does well to crank up the tension during the highlights from Germany's more taxing games, particularly those against Algeria and the final against Argentina.

Behind the curtain

But while those clips are an entertaining and vital part of the narrative, the value of the film lies in the scenes that show what happened behind closed doors. Interviews with coaches and shots of tactics boards show how every aspect of the operation was planned out in minute detail.

Pre-match team talks by coach Joachim Löw and Captain Philipp Lahm let fans see how the leaders in the dressing room fired their troops up. In another telling scene, defender Shkodran Mustafi is shown writhing in agony during a massage.

In this sense, "Die Mannschaft" is a peek behind the curtain, distilling the hours of hard work that go into preparing for every game into less than 90 minutes of footage for viewers. But the film manages to avoid taking itself too seriously thanks to some moments of comic relief.

Seeing Thomas Müller dress up in a dirndl after losing a bet with a physiotherapist helps to show that even the most successful athletes can be brought back down to earth. Likewise midfielder Christoph Kramer's rendition of Ronan Keating's "When You Say Nothing At All," an initiation ceremony of sorts for newcomers to the squad, is a timely reminder that while they might be better than the rest of us at football, they sing like your uncle at a karaoke after one drink too many.

Then there's Mertesacker and Mustafi showing off their moves at a party after the final, dad-dancing in its purest form.

"Die Mannschaft" is about more than just goals and press conference quotes. It gives fans greater access to their idols than they usually get, and looks at what happened away from the media spotlight in June and July. But it is still, at its heart, a film about football and football players. If this year's World Cup didn't leave you wanting more, then perhaps "Die Mannschaft" doesn't have much to get your juices flowing.

But for anyone yearning to experience once more those weeks in the summer, when the only thing better than the weather was the football, this is quite simply essential viewing.