DeepSummary
This episode features an interview with sound designer Johnny Byrne about his work on the film 'The Zone of Interest.' Byrne discusses the unique approach he took to create the horrifying sounds of the Auschwitz concentration camp without actually depicting or reenacting the atrocities onscreen. He explains how he collected real-world sounds from various locations across Europe and repurposed them to represent the industrial scale of the camp's operations.
Byrne provides insights into specific scenes from the film, such as how he used sounds of French riots to represent the arrival of trains from France, and how he recreated the sound of crematoria chimneys using a roaring fire and cardboard tubes. He also talks about the moral considerations behind avoiding actors recreating the horrors, and instead relying on authentic sounds from the real world.
The episode also touches on the film's broader themes, such as the juxtaposition of the idyllic family life within the camp commandant's house against the backdrop of the atrocities happening just outside the walls. Byrne reflects on the profound impact the project had on him and the challenges of immersing himself in such haunting subject matter for an extended period.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Sound designer Johnny Byrne took an innovative approach to creating the horrifying soundscape for the film 'The Zone of Interest,' set in the Auschwitz concentration camp, by collecting and repurposing real-world sounds from various locations across Europe.
- Byrne meticulously researched witness testimonies and documented every sound-related detail to accurately represent the industrial scale of the camp's operations without directly depicting or reenacting the atrocities onscreen.
- The film juxtaposes the idyllic family life within the camp commandant's house against the backdrop of the atrocities happening just outside the walls, creating a powerful and unsettling contrast through the use of sound.
- Byrne made a conscious decision to avoid using actors to recreate the horrors, opting instead for authentic sounds from the real world due to moral considerations.
- The project had a profound impact on Byrne and his team, as they immersed themselves in the haunting subject matter for an extended period to accurately recreate the sounds of the camp.
- The film explores themes of how humans can ignore or block out evil, even when it is happening in close proximity, through the use of sound and the characters' reactions to the noises from the camp.
- Byrne's work on the film highlights the power of sound design in storytelling and its ability to convey unseen horrors and emotions in a powerful and immersive way.
- The episode provides a unique behind-the-scenes look at the creative process and challenges involved in bringing such a sensitive and haunting story to life through sound.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “And so it became imperative to make the whole soundscape a more constant presence, which obviously forces the juxtaposition in a much more claustrophobic way.“ by Johnny Byrne
- “You can shut your eyes, but you can't shut your ears.“ by Johnny Byrne
- “And so go and do your research because I'll be back in a year or so.“ by Jonathan Glaser
- “If someone spoke of someone being whipped, then I'd make a note of that and in great detail about how that was described as having happened.“ by Johnny Byrne
- “And morally, it felt like a no go area anyways.“ by Johnny Byrne
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Episode Information
Radio Atlantic
The Atlantic
3/7/24
We talk to Oscar-nominated sound designer Johnnie Burn about how he created the soundscape of horrors for The Zone of Interest. Burn explains how he collected real sounds from the streets of Europe and mixed them into a soundscape of cruelty happening just out of view. We also do a close analysis of key scenes from the film. "You can shut your eyes, but you can't shut your ears," Burn says.
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