Skip to main content

The Zone of Interest

This event has passed

When Under the Skin director Jonathan Glazer makes a film — this is only his fourth feature in 23 years — it’s always essential viewing. And so it proves with this free adaptation of the 2014 novel by the late Martin Amis. Indeed, when it premiered in Cannes The Times called it “a landmark movie, hugely important,” while The Hollywood Reporter described “a devastating Holocaust drama like no other.” Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall) plays Hedwig Höss, mother of five, wife to Rudolph (Christian Friedel). They live in an idyllic villa, a river running alongside the bucolic garden, literally a stone’s throw from Rudolph’s place of work — he’s Camp Commandant at Auschwitz. Hedwig’s concerns are domestic, and most of the film takes place within the home; Glazer opted to use ten fixed cameras within this space, operated by remote control, to remove authorial judgment from the mise-en-scene. Of course that choice in itself implies a kind of judgment, and The Zone of Interest offers an account of moral solipsism which is both chilling and unforgettable, all the more so for its scrupulous restraint.

Director

Jonathan Glazer

Cast

Christian Friedel, Sandra Hüller

Credits
Country of Origin

USA/UK/Poland

Year

2023

Language

In German and Polish with English subtitles

Awards

Grand Prix, Cannes Film Festival; Best International Film, Best Sound, Academy Awards

19+
106 min

Book Tickets

This event has passed.

Credits

Producer

Jim Wilson, Ewa Puszczyńska

Screenwriter

Jonathan Glazer

Cinematography

Łukasz Żal

Editor

Paul Watts

Original Music

Mica Levi

Production Design

Chris Oddy

Also Playing

Universal Language

Dir. Matthew Rankin
89 min

In a wintery, Farsi-speaking city that’s equal measures Winnipeg and Tehran, storylines entangle and the concepts of space, time, and identity grow increasingly opaque. Inventive and absurd, Rankin's poetic fable reminds us that Winnipeg is a wonderland. Rated: G

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

Dir. Bruce David Klein
104 min

Even if you think you know about Liza Minnelli, you're guaranteed to glean unexpected insights into this admiring portrait of pizzazz personified.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

Arthur Erickson: Beauty Between the Lines

Dir. Ryan Mah & Danny Berish
80 min

This new documentary offers the most complete account so far of the life and work of Canada's greatest architect, the man responsible for several of the finest buildings in Vancouver -- including the Museum of Anthropology and the SFU Campus.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

Luther: Never Too Much

Dir. Dawn Porter
101 min

There is a lot more to soul superstar Luther Vandross than his honeyed hits. This definitive doc sheds light on his work with artists including David Bowie, Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin, his struggles with his image and sexuality, and remarkable gifts.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre