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A scene from ‘The Zone of Interest’ courtesy of TIFF
‘The Zone of Interest’ depicts a respected German family during WWII, juxtaposing normal routines with the atrocities of the Holocaust.
It’s the 1940s and commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) is one of Hitler’s rising stars. He is the head of Auschwitz, which is considered one of the most progressive and successful concentration camps, heralded for its innovation and efficiency. His wife, Hedwig (Sandra Hüller), and their children live on a beautiful property just outside the camp’s gates, literally sharing their garden wall with the prison. Hedwig has painstakingly worked to build their home since their arrival a few years earlier, establishing a household that now runs like a well-oiled machine. However, a looming transfer stands to test their marriage and Hedwig’s devotion to the life she designed.
This is a very intriguing look at the Holocaust from a perspective rarely seen. The thought of living adjacent to Auschwitz would make most people’s skin crawl. Yet, the Höss family is flourishing, barely taking notice of the atrocities occurring mere steps away. There’s an element of normalcy that is very unsettling. Rudolf is a senior leader with many demands on his time, taking important meetings with inventors, transcribing memos via telephone and attending to his daily duties — but the inventors are proposing more efficient crematoriums, the memos relate to death camps and his primary job is overseeing the murder of thousands.
In the end, all of these elements skilfully combine to create a disquieting portrayal of a family deeply embedded in the Nazi regime.
The Zone of Interest had its Canadian premiere in the Special Presentations programme at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Read other reviews from the festival.
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Starring: Sandra Hüller, Christian Friedel and Freya Kreutzkam
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