PODCAST : Director László Nemes, cinematographer Mátyás Erdély and co-writer Clara Royer on Son of Saul (68th Festival de Cannes)

To listen to the interview, click on the ► icon on the right, just above the picture of the film

Think you’ve seen enough Holocaust movies? Think again. Son of Saul is the type of film that engulfs you in its atmosphere and offers the viewer no way out.

This powerful and interactive Hungarian film by László Nemes was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the 68th Cannes Film Festival. Not bad for a feature directorial debut. FRED’s Angelo Acerbi caught up with him shortly after the film’s premiere, along with cinematographer Mátyás Erdély and co-screenwriter Clara Royer to talk about what is certainly set to be one of the highlights from the Croisette this year.

Many are the subjects to be discussed. The struggle and passion to make such a film, that tells a little known story about concentration camps. We also discuss the singular visual approach and choice in shooting, on 35mm and in 4:3.

SON OF SAUL (Saul fia): “Two days in the life of Saul Auslander, Hungarian prisoner working as a member of the Sonderkommando at one of the Auschwitz Crematoriums who, to bury the corpse of a boy he takes for his son, tries to carry out his impossible deed: salvage the body and find a rabbi to bury it. While the Sonderkommando is to be liquidated at any moment, Saul turns away of the living and their plans of rebellion to save the remains of a son he never took care of when he was still alive.” (official synopsis of the film taken from the official Facebook page of “Son of Saul”)

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT “SON OF SAUL”?: Click here to listen to our interview with Géza Röhrig, actor of Son of Saul (English channel)