You are listening to the Next Best Picture podcast, and this is my interview with the two stars

from the Zone of Interest, Christian Friedel and Sandra Hewler, followed by Dan Baer's interview

with the film cinematographer, Lukash Zahl, and the supervising sound designer, Johnny Byrne.

I'm being joined right now by two of the main actor. designer, Johnny Byrne.

I'm being joined right now by two of the main actors from one of the years most acclaimed films, The Zone of Interest, Christian Friedel and Sandra Hewler.

Christian, Sandra, thank you so much for joining me today to talk about this amazing movie.

Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you for your time.

And I say amazing, like it's this incredibly uplifting film when it's quite the opposite.

It's a movie that stays with you.

I saw it at the Cannes Film Festival at its world premiere, and I have not been able to shake it ever since. It made me queasy to my stomach in all the best ways to where I instantly declare, well,

that's one of the greatest films I've ever seen.

It has tremendous power behind it.

What was it like for both of you when you first got the screenplay from Jonathan, did it also have that same kind of

stomach turning power to it, if you will? I think in the screenplay, it wasn't visible what it would be.

It was more the artistic choices that Jonathan and his team have made around it that made this film into what it is now.

But the first time I realized that it was about this family and this period of time and this

place that it's playing and that turned my stomach literally.

I felt really repulsed, but I didn't really sick.

And it took me a long time to befriend myself with the idea of being a part of it.

And it had to do with Jonathan and the team around him.

And of course, with Christian that I made this choice in the end.

Yeah.

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