The Zone of Interest 2023

In 1943, the commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, Rudolf Höss, resides in a seemingly tranquil home with his wife, Hedwig, and their five children. Their idyllic life contrasts sharply with the terrifying reality outside their garden walls, where the chilling sounds of gunfire, shouts, and the grueling operations of the camp reverberate through the air. While Rudolf enjoys moments of leisure with his children, fishing and swimming, and Hedwig finds solace in nurturing their garden, the servants attend to household chores, often utilizing personal belongings of the camp’s prisoners.

As the family enjoys their otherwise peaceful existence, the grim details of their reality begin to seep in. Rudolf plays a pivotal role in approving the construction of a new crematorium, a facility that symbolizes the depths of inhumanity just beyond their home. A disturbing scene unfolds when he discovers human remains floating in the nearby river, prompting him to hastily remove his children from the water and issue a stern reprimand to his staff about their negligence.

Simultaneously, a courageous Polish girl in the vicinity acts to resist this brutality, sneaking out under cover of darkness to deliver food to the prisoners, providing them with a glimmer of hope. Amidst this turmoil, Rudolf is taken aback when he learns of his promotion to deputy inspector of all concentration camps, necessitating a move to Oranienburg, near Berlin. Reluctant to leave their home, he remains silent about the change for several days. When he finally shares the news, Hedwig pleads fervently to remain in their beloved home.

After some negotiation, the request is granted, and Rudolf relocates the family. The arrival of Hedwig’s mother introduces more tension as she is horrified by the sight of crematorium flames at night, ultimately leaving and penning a scathing note which Hedwig angrily destroys.

Months later, in Berlin, Rudolf gains notoriety for selecting him to orchestrate a grim operation that will forcibly transport 700,000 Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz for extermination. This horrifying task allows him to return to Auschwitz, where he reunites with his family.

In a moment of stark reality, he finds himself at a celebratory gathering for this operation, reflecting on the grotesque efficiency of his work – thinking how best to gas a room filled with helpless victims. This moment culminates in him descending the stairs of his Berlin office, where the weight of his actions overwhelms him, inducing nausea as he stares into the abyss.

In the present day, a team of janitors diligently cleans the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, a haunting reminder of the past. Meanwhile, in 1943, Rudolf continues to descend into the bowels of the camp, where the line between his family life and the horrors of his occupation becomes increasingly blurred.