The Zone of Interest" was a term used by the SS Nazis during World War II. It describes a 40-square-kilometer area surrounding the Auschwitz concentration camp complex on the outskirts of Oszpiecim, Poland.
The film "Region of Interest" depicts the story surrounding such a community.
The film was directed by Jonathan Glaser of Under the Skin: The Predation of a Species. Based on a novel by British author Martin Amis, the film has already received international acclaim, including the Grand Prix in Competition at the 2023 and 76th Cannes International Film Festival and the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
The setting is not the Auschwitz concentration camp, where the Holocaust and forced labor resulted in the deaths of many people, mainly Jews, but the home of a family who live a peaceful life next to the camp.
The family is that of Rudolf Hess, the director of the concentration camp, and the film shows their activities as they live a life of luxury with servants.
Looking through the window at the other side of the wall, one can see smoke rising from the building and hear muffled voices of grief day and night. But even under such bizarre circumstances, Rudolph's wife carefully tends to the garden, and the children innocently play around in the mansion.
The characters' conversations and glances reveal the existence of others, and the events that are happening right around the corner. The technique used in this film, which incites the viewer's uneasiness and makes him or her imagine things whether he or she wants to or not, is certainly different from that of previous films that have attempted the same theme.
How will the family's life change after Rudolph's transfer, and what separates the two closed spaces?
You will surely feel something only by seeing it in a movie theater. The film will be released on May 24 (Fri.). Please come and see it.
Areas of Interest."
Original title: THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Country of the work: USA, UK, Poland
Cast: Christiane Friedel, Zandra Hüller
Director/Screenplay: Jonathan Glaser
Production: James Wilson, Eva Puszczynska
Based on the book by Martin Amis
Director of Photography: Ukash Jal
Production Design: Chris Oddi
Costume design: Maugozata Karpiuk
Edited by Paul Watts
Music: Mika Levy
Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Distributor: Happinet Phantom Studio
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