The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has selected ‘The Zone of Interest’ as its submission to the Oscar for the best international feature film award. Directed by Jonathan Glazer, the holocaust drama has already won the Grand Prix and FIPRESCI prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Based on a novel by Martin Amis, the film is a chilling contemplation on the banality of evil. It narrates how the commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Hoss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to a concentration camp.

‘The Zone of Interest’ stars Christian Friedel and Sandra Huller and has been produced by James Wilson and Ewa Puszczynska. It has executive directors including Reno Antoniades, Ollie Madden, Daniel Battsek, Len Blavatnik, Danny Cohen, Tessa Ross, and David Kimbangi. The film will be released in the United States on December 8.

The UK has a weak track record in the international feature section at the Oscars because most of its films are produced in English, which makes them ineligible for the category. However, ‘The Zone of Interest’ stands out as it features dialogues in German and Polish languages.

Critics have praised ‘The Zone of Interest’, describing it as a ‘stone cold stunner’ and a ‘devastating Holocaust drama like no other’. The film has been lauded for its unerring control of tonal and visual storytelling. It has been screened at prestigious film festivals such as Toronto, Telluride, and New York, and will also be shown at the BFI London Film Festival.

In the history of the Oscars, only two British films have been nominated in the foreign film category: ‘Hedd Wyn’ in 1993 and ‘Solomon & Gaenor’ in 1999, both of which were Welsh language films.

‘The Zone of Interest’ presents a unique opportunity for the UK to make a mark in the international feature category at the Oscars with its powerful storytelling and compelling performances.