Top film producer calls for ’empathy for innocents killed in south Israel’

The producer of the acclaimed The Zone of Interest film has used his speech at an awards ceremony to stress that”innocent people killed in Ukraine or south Israel are as deserving of empathy as innocent people being killed in Gaza or Yemen or anywhere else.”

James Wilson, who produced the highly acclaimed film –  which focuses on the lives of Rudolf Hoss, the commandant of Auschwitz, and his wife Hedwig – was speaking after The Zone of Interest picked up the Best Film prize at the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards for 2024.

Much of the film, loosely based on the 2014 novel by Martin Amis of the same name, was shot at the Auschwitz death camp.

Receiving the award, alongside director Jonathan Glazer,  Wilson said:”One of the questions of the film boils down to selective empathy.

“Whether we care more about the health and safety, and violence against innocent groups of people more than other innocent people.”

The producer then added that “in the world right now innocent people are being killed in Ukraine or south Israel are as deserving of empathy as innocent people being killed in Gaza or Yemen or anywhere else.

“Thank you for your recognition of a film that is posing that question.”

On social media on Monday, Wilson’s comments were wrongly reported as having suggested not enough empathy was given to the suffering of the people in Gaza.

Speaking after Zone of Interest picked at  the technical achievement award, musician Mica Levi, who also worked on the moview,  was applauded for saying they wished for a “ceasefire” and for “change” in the region.

Glazer also took home the director of the year prize at the ceremony, which celebrates British, Irish and international achievements in film, and which took place at London’s May Fair Hotel on Sunday.

Andrew Haigh’s drama All Of Us Strangers was awarded British/Irish film of the year, as well as picking up actor of the year for its lead Andrew Scott.

Both Oppenheimer, with the highest number of Oscar nominations this year, and the $1.45bn-grossing Barbie were left without any awards.