UK 2023, 105 mins (Dir. Jonathan Glazer) starring Sandra Hüller, Christian Friedel, Ralph Herforth, Max Beck and Lilli Falk.
This extraordinary film tells the true story of how, in 1943, the commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house right next to the concentration and extermination camp he helped create. Höss takes their five children out to swim and fish, and Hedwig spends time tending the garden. Locals handle the chores, and the murdered Jews’ belongings are given to the family. Beyond the garden wall, gunshots, shouting, and the sounds of trains and furnaces are audible. One day Hedwig’s mother comes to visit and is impressed with the house, but concerned with the proximity of the camp. She leaves unannounced after seeing the burning crematorium at night.
Glazer wired the whole house with cameras, so no cameramen were there in front of the actors. The sound is really important because you don’t see the atrocities in the camp, you hear them as a background noise. It’s almost like there is another film, just beyond the edge of the film. It’s a very dark, bleak chilling soundscape. Glazer built the house which the film takes place in, and the garden, right next to the original house, and made it identical to the original house and garden.
The film won two awards at the 96th Academy Awards in 2024: Best International Feature, The first Academy Award for Best International Feature for a non-English British Film and Best Sound.It also won the Grand Prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and Film of the Year, Director of the Year, and ALFS Award at the 2024 London critics Circle.
Please book a seat by 1pm on the day of the film
Tickets: £9 Members / £12 Non-Members
Doors open at 7.00pm for pre-film drinks (included in the price of the ticket)
Film starts at 7.30pm
Film Talk at 9.30pm