The Zone of Interest

This chilling drama from the director of Under the Skin is an extraordinary and unsettling work that won’t easily be forgotten. Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss lives with his family in a comfortable home next door to the camp. His wife Hedwig busies herself tending to her ‘paradise’ garden, while the couple’s children laugh and play in the sunshine. The family carry on with their lives, disturbingly detached from the terrible sounds that creep over the garden wall. Inspired by Martin Amis’ 2014 novel, Jonathan Glazer’s unsettling examination of Nazi mentality successfully adopts an unorthodox perspective. He observes the domestic rhythms of daily life, recording the activities of the family, their friends, the servants who work for them and the officers who occasionally visit. Life would seem unremarkable if it weren’t for the sounds that come from the adjoining camp, a place the film never enters. Johnnie Burns’ sound design, coupled with a sparing but chillingly effective score by Mica Levi, emphasises the frightening psychology of Höss and those who are driven by such a pernicious ideology. The result is both a powerful exploration of inhumanity and a brilliant work of cinema.

Kimberley Sheehan, Film and Events Programmer

Audio Description available at all screenings.

Unfortunately Descriptive Subtitles will not be available on this release. We are very sorry for any disappointment caused.

See our IMAX screenings of The Zone of Interest.