Jonathan Glazer: Shooting his film at Auschwitz, the humanness of evil, and why he always knew he’d create a film about the Holocaust

Filming at Auschwitz: The Zone of Interest

The director, Jonathan Glaser, discusses his new film, The Zone of Interest, which tells the story of the Holocaust from the perspective of a German family that assisted in orchestrating the killings. The film was shot at the Auschwitz concentration camp, and Glaser explains how he wanted to shine a light on the banality of evil and the ease with which human beings can follow dangerous ideologies. He emphasizes the importance of understanding our capacity for violence and the need to demystify the idea that we are nothing like those who committed atrocities. The film uses sound to create a stark contrast between the everyday lives of the family and the screams and gunshots of the prisoners next door, prompting reflection on our own desensitization and moral disassociation.