The Zone of Interest

In the tranquil summer of 1943, Rudolf Höss (character), commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, resides with his wife Hedwig and their five children in a picturesque home adjacent to the camp's periphery. As he takes the young ones on leisurely excursions to swim and fish, Hedwig tends to their lush garden, while servants attend to household chores. Meanwhile, the distant sounds of gunfire, shouting, and trains rumbling along the tracks mingle with the cacophony of furnaces burning in the background. Höss gives his stamp of approval for a new crematorium design, which is set to become operational soon.

As he spends time with his family, Höss's notice is drawn to human remains floating on the river's surface. He swiftly rescues his children and dispatches a rebuke to camp officials, chiding them for their carelessness. The inference that he has cultivated illicit relationships with prisoners in his office further underscores the sinister atmosphere pervading his life.

In the midst of this idyllic setting, a Polish girl secretly siphons food from nearby work sites, covertly stashing it for the prisoners to find and sustain themselves. Höss receives news that he is being promoted to deputy inspector of all concentration camps, forcing him to relocate to Oranienburg near Berlin. Initially resistant to this change, Höss ultimately accepts, concealing the truth from Hedwig for several days.

Hedwig's maternal instincts are deeply troubled by the prospect of leaving their beloved home behind, and she implores Höss to intercede on their behalf, allowing them to remain in Auschwitz. Despite initial reluctance, Höss manages to secure approval for his family's stay, relocating himself to Berlin instead. Hedwig's mother arrives, only to be horrified by the sight of crematorium flames burning brightly at night, prompting her hasty departure, leaving behind a scathing letter that Hedwig ultimately burns in anger.

As months pass, Höss is tasked with overseeing an operation bearing his name, tasked with transporting 700,000 Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz for extermination. This new responsibility allows him to rejoin his family and return to the camp. At a celebratory party commemorating the operation, Höss appears vacant, his mind preoccupied with the most efficient methods to gas the room.

Upon leaving his Berlin office, Höss descends the stairs, pausing momentarily as he's overcome by waves of nausea, gazing into the darkness before composing himself. Fast-forwarding to the present day, a group of janitors meticulously clean the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, their labors a stark contrast to the horrors that once transpired within its walls. Back in 1943, Höss proceeds downstairs, unaware of the dark fate that awaits him and those he has come to command.