Steve McQueen Calls ‘Occupied City’ A “Reminder Of What’s At Stake” In Current Political Climate As Holocaust Doc Screens At New York Film Festival
deadline.comDirector Steve McQueen said his unusual four-hour Holocaust documentary shot in Amsterdam is rooted in his strong sense that “the past is present” in physical manifestations all around us, as well as a reminder to stay vigilant. “It’s very cliche, but we have to not forget.
Because see what’s happening now in the politics of the world…things are shifting to the right. And if anything, you know, your book, this film, hopefully can be a reminder of what’s at stake, and it’s freedom,” the director of 12 Years A Slave and upcoming Blitz said Sunday as the film screened at the New York Film Festival.
The book refers to ‘Atlas of an Occupied City, Amsterdam 1940-1945’ by Bianca Stigter, McQueen’s wife, a filmmaker (Three Minutes: A Lengthening) and historian.
Her Atlas is a compedium of addresses around the city where Nazi atrocities unfolded during World War II with descriptions of each.
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