The Zone of Interest
During World War II, Hedwig leads a delightful existence in Poland: she lives in beautiful, large house with a beautiful garden where the children can play to their hearts' content, and then there is a small river with an idyllic beach. She is the wife of Rudolf Höss, the commander of the Auschwitz extermination camp, which is close to the house. One day, Rudolf is told he is being transferred to Oranienburg, where he is to work out the details of the deportation of Jews with other camp commanders. Hedwig stays behind for the time being to look after the house, garden and children, along with her two Jewish maids.
Director Jonathan Glazer (Under the Skin) shows no horror in this haunting and now critically acclaimed film, but the very contrast between what you see and what you know makes the story all the more harrowing - the non-visible Holocaust as hell on earth. With Sandra Hüller as Hedwig, based on Martin Amis' 2014 eponymous novel.