The Zone of Interest
dir. Jonathan Glazer · 2023
Feature
Moral Ambiguity
Mood
Dark / Contemplative
Look
stark, minimalist compositions with a focus on domestic spaces
Structure
non-linear, focusing on domestic life interspersed with historical context
Plot
The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.
Why watch
A family gathers in their garden, the sun shining brightly, while just beyond the fence lies the Auschwitz concentration camp. Hedwig Höss tends to her flowers, blissfully unaware of the horrors that unfold nearby, creating a chilling contrast between domestic tranquility and the atrocities of war. Watching this film is like stepping into a surreal nightmare where the mundane coexists with the monstrous, forcing you to confront the unsettling nature of human complicity.
Cultural context
Holocaust representation in cinemathe ethics of storytellingthe impact of war on family dynamicsthe normalization of violence in society