Jonathan Glazer’s acceptance speech for The Zone of Interest at the Oscars prompts backlash and a response from the film’s producer. Directed by Glazer, The Zone of Interest is a film that tells the story of Nazi Commandant Rudolf Höss and his family, who are constructing their own idyllic life right next to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where atrocities are being committed daily. The Zone of Interest was nominated for five Oscars, winning for Best International Feature and Best Sound.
Now, Glazer’s Best International Feature acceptance speech for The Zone of Interest is sparking controversy. While some are voicing their support for Glazer’s words, others found the director’s drawing parallels between the Holocaust and the present day to be alarming at best. As per the Unholy podcast (via The Hollywood Reporter), such dissent for the speech came from The Zone of Interest’s own executive producer, Danny Cohen. Cohen condemned the speech, saying that he “fundamentally disagree[s] with Jonathan [Glazer] on this.” Check out the full quote from Cohen below:
“It’s really important to recognize [the speech has] upset a lot of people and a lot of people feel upset and angry about it. And I understand that anger frankly.
“I think a lot of people in the Jewish community that contacted me felt that it was a remarkable and a very important film and in being so tells a story of the Holocaust and forms a very important part of Holocaust education. And I think they’ve been upset by the sense they feel that has been mixed up with what’s going on now [in Gaza], whether that was Jonathan’s intention or not to do that.”
“I just fundamentally disagree with Jonathan on this. My support for Israel is unwavering. The war and the continuation of the war is the responsibility of Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization, which continues to hold and abuse the hostages, and which doesn’t use its tunnels to protect the innocent civilians of Gaza, but uses it to hide themselves and allow Palestinians to die. I think the war is tragic and awful and the loss of civilian life is awful, but I blame Hamas for that. And any discussion of the war without saying that lacks the proper context that any discussion should have.”
“Listen, it’s his film. He can stand up there and choose his own words and that’s fine. He’s a strong person and I’m sure he’ll stand by those. But for me, it wasn’t the right time and didn’t have enough context and was a distraction from a great piece of art. But you know, Jonathan is really someone who allows his work to do the talking.”
“So I’m much more in favor of the film doing the talking than what you say on TV in 30 seconds in a heated environment.”
Jonathan Glazer’s Controversial Speech Explained
When Glazer took to the stage to accept The Zone of Interest’s award for Best International Feature, he sported a red lapel pin. This pin was part of Artists4Ceasefire cause, which is a collective of advocates who seek to oppose the Israel-Hamas war. In the speech itself, Glazer addressed said war, saying:
“Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation, which has led to conflict for so many innocent people. Whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist?”
His speech has prompted a number of responses, including many that misconstrued the quote by pulling out just the “men who refute their Jewishness” segment of the quote. Listening to the full speech, it is clear that Glazer is not seeking to refute his own Jewishness but to refute Jewishness and the Holocaust “being hijacked by an occupation,” in this case referring to Gaza. Even so, some people such as Cohen still took issue with the full speech, feeling it appropriate to link the Holocaust with today.
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Some, filmmaker and THR guest columnist Richard Trank, felt that the speech undermined the power of The Zone of Interest and its win for Best International Feature. This vitriolic reaction is not unsurprising given the ongoing Hollywood schism created by the Israel-Hamas war. While some joined Glazer in wearing red pins at the Oscars, others sported yellow ribbons in support of the Israeli hostages still being held captive. Glazer took a risk addressing the issue in his The Zone of Interest acceptance speech, and said risk has indeed sparked diverse reactions.
The Zone of Interest
The Zone of Interest is a historical war drama by writer-director Jonathan Glazer. Set during World War 2, the film follows Rudolf Höss, the commandant of the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp, as he tries to build a dream home right next door to the camp.
