Steve McQueen's 'Occupied City' documentary juxtaposes contemporary Amsterdam with Nazi occupation narratives
Steve McQueen's documentary 'Occupied City,' lasting four hours, showcases modern-day Amsterdam alongside narration by Melanie Hyams, revealing harrowing accounts of Nazi occupation that frequently culminated in murder. This film integrates themes from McQueen's earlier projects: 'Sunshine State' (2022) examined the fragility of memory linked to his father's escape from Florida in the 1970s, while 'Grenfell' (2023) honored the victims of the 2017 London tower disaster. By juxtaposing historical events with contemporary imagery, the film highlights the suffering of Jewish inhabitants. Unlike Jonathan Glazer's 'The Zone of Interest,' McQueen maintains a seemingly neutral stance, with visuals and narration presented in a non-linear fashion. It also features animal footage and an eerie score by Oliver Coates, and was reviewed by ArtReview.
Key facts
- Steve McQueen directed the four-hour documentary 'Occupied City'
- The film juxtaposes contemporary Amsterdam footage with Nazi occupation narratives
- Narrator Melanie Hyams details stories ending in murder during the Occupation
- McQueen's previous work 'Sunshine State' was exhibited at Pirelli Hangar Bicocca in Milan in 2022
- 'Grenfell' (2023) commemorated 72 fire victims and was presented at London's Serpentine Gallery
- The film creates disjuncture between historical specifics and generalized present visuals
- Comparisons are drawn to Jonathan Glazer's Holocaust film 'The Zone of Interest'
- The film references Hannah Arendt's concept of 'the banality of evil'
Entities
Artists
- Steve McQueen
- Melanie Hyams
- Jonathan Glazer
- Hannah Arendt
- Oliver Coates
Institutions
- Pirelli Hangar Bicocca
- Serpentine Gallery
- ArtReview
Locations
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Milan
- Italy
- Florida
- United States
- London
- United Kingdom
- Auschwitz
- Poland
- Western Europe