The German-language Holocaust drama, helmed by director Jonathan Glazer and featuring performances by Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller, has made history by becoming the first international feature from the United Kingdom to win an Academy Award. “The Zone of Interest,” directed by Jonathan Glazer and starring Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller, clinched the UK’s inaugural Oscar for Best International Feature at the 2024 Oscars ceremony.
In his acceptance speech for the Cannes Grand Prix-winning film, Glazer drew parallels between the movie’s themes and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. He highlighted the October 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel, which triggered a ground invasion by the Benjamin Netanyahu-led government, resulting in a devastating toll of over 30,000 Palestinian casualties.
Glazer expressed his gratitude to the audience for their standing ovation during his acceptance speech, stating, “All our decisions were made to provoke reflection and address contemporary issues.” He emphasized that their film illustrates the dire consequences of dehumanization, particularly in the context of the Holocaust. Glazer elaborated on how their portrayal of the daily lives of a Nazi general’s family amidst the horrors of Auschwitz serves as a stark reminder of the devastating effects of dehumanization and its lasting impact on both past and present realities.
“We stand here today rejecting the appropriation of our Jewish identity and the Holocaust by an occupation that has inflicted suffering upon countless innocent individuals – from the victims of the October 7th attacks in Israel to the ongoing assault on Gaza,” Glazer asserted. “In the face of such dehumanization, how do we maintain our resistance?”
Glazer, who is of Jewish heritage, then dedicated the film’s victory to a remarkable individual he encountered named Alexandria, aged 90. She served as the inspiration for one of the central characters in “The Zone of Interest.” At just 12 years old, Alexandria bravely assisted the Polish resistance, leaving apples for prisoners as she cycled through Auschwitz.
“Interestingly, she resided in the very house where we filmed,” Glazer shared with The Guardian. “The bicycle we used belonged to her, and the dress worn by the actor was hers as well. Regrettably, she passed away just a few weeks after our conversation.” In “The Zone of Interest,” Friedel portrays Rudolf Höss, the notorious commandant of Auschwitz concentration camp, while Hüller takes on the role of his wife, Hedwig.
Producer James Wilson, reflecting on the film’s themes, recently remarked to THR, “Our emotional and political ethos may bear more resemblance to that of the perpetrator than we realize. Not in terms of harboring genocidal desires, but in terms of the aspirations for which we are willing to turn a blind eye to those excluded from our vision of comfort and security. Our comfort and security may, in some respects, be founded on the marginalization of others.”