• A Jewish filmmaker receives a Cesar award for his Holocaust film.
• Jonathon Glazer uses his acceptance speech as an opportunity to oppose the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians taking place.
Filmmaker Jonathon Glazer wasn’t present in Paris a few nights ago to accept his César award for Best Foreign Film. He did, however, send a loud message which echoed the much-discussed speech he gave this time last year at the Oscars.
David Grumbach of Bac Films read the acceptance message from Glazer in the director’s absence. It was read in French but translates as follows:
“Thank you to the Academy, Bac Films and the Cannes Film Festival,” he began. “Our film had its premiere in France and it’s an honor to be recognized here. Thanks to A24 Film4 and Access [Industries] and to our Polish producer, Ewa Puszczynska. “The fact that so many people came to see our film is extraordinary. The fact that it is so topical is alarming. To echo what we said a year ago, we wanted the film to ask all of us, even today, questions about dehumanization. Today, the Holocaust and Jewish security are being used to justify massacres, and ethnic cleansing in Gaza…” The speech at that stage was interrupted by applause within the auditorium. Grambach continued to read Glazer’s words: “…After the massacres of October 7 and the hostage-taking in Israel, both are acts of terror against innocent people, made possible by the dehumanization of the people on the other side of our walls. This is the Zone of Interest.”
The filmmaker’s speech on Oscar night garnered much attention and praise. However, more than 1,000 Jewish show business professionals signed a letter denouncing it.
Glazer was presented with a a cesar award for his Holocaust film Zone of Interests. The film draws inspiration from Martin Amis’ 2014 novel of the same name. It is set outside the walls of Auschwitz and stars Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller as Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig.
