The Zone of Interest is a modern masterpiece, albeit a harrowing one. Now, just months after the movie premiered in theaters worldwide and won multiple Oscars and critical praise, a new documentary that can serve as a companion piece is set to get a special release in movie theaters, The Commandant's Shadow, on May 29 and 30.
The story of The Zone of Interest was based on the true story of the Höss family, whose patriarch Rudlof Höss was the commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp and one of the architects of the genocide of Jewish people during World War Two. The key component of the movie is that Höss and his family lived a seemingly idyllic life just on the other side of the camp's walls, where the horrors of the Holocaust were occuring.
The Commandant's Shadow primarily takes place eight decades later and follows the 87-year-old son of Höss, Hans Jurgen Höss, as he prepares to meet a Holocaust survivor who was a prisoner at Auschwitz, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch. The description of the movie says that this is the first time the descendant of a major war criminal meets a survivor in a private setting (Anita’s home).
The documentary is a collaboration between Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Documentary Films, directed by Daniela Völker. The movie is playing in movie theaters with the help of Fathom Events. Tickets are available to purchase through the Fathom website. Again, it will only be playing in movie theaters for two days, May 29 and 30, but with the Warner Bros. and HBO affiliation, it will likely become available to stream on Max, though a streaming premiere date is TBD.
Directed by Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest won two Oscars, one for Best International Film and the other for Best Sound, while it was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Director. WTW gave the movie five stars in our The Zone of Interest review and named it as one of our 10 best movies of 2023. You can watch The Zone of Interest on Max right now, or rent via digital on-demand if you do not have access to the streaming service.
See a preview of what the documentary will cover by watching The Commandant's Shadow trailer directly below:
