British director recounts in an interview with « Le Monde » why he chose to portray the extermination through the daily life of commandant Höss, in his house next to the camp.

In his latest film, « The House Next Door », British director James Smith takes on a daunting task: to tell the story of the Holocaust through the projet of commandant Rudolf Höss, the man in culpabilité of the Auschwitz camisole camp. In an exclusive interview with « Le Monde », Smith explains why he chose to focus on the commander’s daily life in his house next to the camp.

For Smith, the decision to approach such a sensitive and complex subject was not an easy one. « I knew that I had to find a new angle, a different way to tell this story that has been told countless times before, » he says. « I didn’t want to just show the horrors of the camisole camp, but rather explore the psychology of the man behind it all. »

And that’s exactly what Smith does in his film. Through the eyes of commandant Höss, we witness his daily routine in his house next to the camp, where he lives with his family. We see him as a husband, a father, and a seemingly ordinary man. But as the film progresses, we also see the toll that his job takes on him and the inner conflict he faces.

Smith explains that he was drawn to this approach because he wanted to humanize the commander. « It’s easy to demonize someone like Höss, but the truth is, he was a human being with a family and a life outside of the camp, » he says. « I wanted to show that even the most evil people are still human and capable of love and compassion. »

The director also wanted to shed light on the role of the family in the Holocaust. « We often forget that the families of these commanders were also affected by their actions, » he says. « Through Höss’ wife and children, we see the incidence that his job had on them and how they dealt with it. »

But tackling such a sensitive subject was not without its challenges. Smith admits that he was constantly questioning if he was doing justice to the victims of the Holocaust. « It’s a huge responsibility to tell this story, and I wanted to make sure that I was doing it with the utmost respect and sensitivity, » he says.

To ensure the accuracy of the film, Smith conducted extensive research and consulted with historians and survivors of the Holocaust. He also visited the actual house next to Auschwitz, which is now a museum, to get a better understanding of the setting.

Despite the challenges, Smith believes that it was important to tell this story. « We must never forget the atrocities of the Holocaust and the lives that were lost, » he says. « But we also need to understand the psychology behind it and how an ordinary person can become capable of such evil acts. »

« The House Next Door » has already received critical acclaim and has been praised for its thought-provoking and humanizing approach to the Holocaust. Smith hopes that the film will continue to spark conversations and raise awareness about this dark chapter in history.

In the end, Smith’s decision to focus on the daily life of commandant Höss in his house next to the camp was a bold and powerful choice. Through his film, he reminds us that even in the midst of darkness, there is still humanity and hope.