The Höss family lived in close proximity to the Auschwitz complex, a 15-square-mile area known as the Interessengebiet or “interest zone.” Their house was located near the oldest camp, Auschwitz I, which contained prisoner barracks, a gas chamber, and crematory. After Rudolf Höss was arrested in 1946, he admitted that his family had lived well in Auschwitz. The film is set in 1943 and primarily takes place at the Höss family home. The camera work is discreet and matter-of-fact, capturing the everyday life of the family without sensationalizing or editorializing.
The film uses art-film conventions such as long uninterrupted takes and narrative ellipses. The audio features everyday conversations and a persistent machinelike hum punctuated by train sounds, muffled gunfire, and yelling that underscores the ominous atmosphere. The portrayal of the Höss family’s seemingly ordinary life emphasizes the banality of evil, echoing Hannah Arendt’s concept of the same name. Despite the everyday facade, cracks in the surface of their calm reveal the unsettling reality of their circumstances.