In Jonathan Glazer’s film “The Zone of Interest,” we witness the seemingly idyllic existence of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig, portrayed with remarkable depth by Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller. Their family resides on the periphery of the camp, shielded by walls that attempt to separate them from the horrors of the “endlosing.” However, the atrocities of Auschwitz inevitably infiltrate their domestic life.

This Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix winner poignantly reveals the banality of evil. Arnon Grunberg reflects on the film’s pervasive horror in his Volkskrant column, suggesting that a quote from Austrian writer Ingeborg Bachmann (1926-1973) could aptly serve as its motto: ‘I am also not here to educate, to teach, or to shock, for the horror is already within you, and if not, no one can help you.’ How can one effectively capture the horrors of Auschwitz and convey the humanity at stake?”

In cooperation with Vredeshuis Aalst