Jonathan Glazer, director of the Oscar-wining film, The Zone of Interest, faced criticism from Holocaust survivors following his comments made during his acceptance speech at the Oscars on Sunday.
In an open letter obtained by TheWrap on Monday, David Schaecter, president of the Holocaust Survivor’s Foundation, labeled Glazer’s remarks as “morally indefensible.” Schaecter, a 94-year-old survivor and the sole survivor of his 105-member family, expressed deep anguish over Glazer’s use of Auschwitz to criticize Israel.
Glazer’s speech, delivered upon accepting the award for Best International Feature Film, drew attention to the ongoing violence between Israel and Palestine. He condemned the brutality on both sides and called for resistance against dehumanization.
“Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst. It’s shaped all of our past and present,” Glazer stated. “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.”
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Schaecter rebutted Glazer’s statements, highlighting the director’s Jewish identity and the nature of his film. “You made a Holocaust movie and you won an Oscar. And you are Jewish. Good for you. But it is disgraceful for you to presume to speak for six million Jews, including one and a half million children, who were murdered solely because of their Jewish identity,” Schaecter wrote.
The Zone of Interest revolves around Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig as they live near the concentration camp. Schaecter and 18 members of the foundation’s U.S. executive committee denounced Glazer’s remarks, emphasizing the sensitivity and gravity of invoking Auschwitz in the context of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Glazer’s comments have sparked debate and reflection on the intersection of art, politics, and historical trauma, adding a layer of complexity to the discourse surrounding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
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