Realism and the unfilmable: From Godard to Glazer.

The article examines Jean-Luc Godard’s persistent challenge to traditional cinematic realism, particularly in representing war and historical trauma, contrasting his approach with that of André Bazin and other filmmakers. Godard rejected faithful depiction of reality in favor of exploring cinema’s formal possibilities, as seen in works like *The Carabineers* (1963) and *For Ever Mozart* (1996), where he blends documentary and fiction to convey war’s dehumanizing effects. The discussion extends to debates on the "unfilmable" nature of the Holocaust, highlighting Godard’s contention that images of atrocities may exist and should be explored cinematically, in opposition to Claude Lanzmann’s *Shoah* (1985), which eschews archival footage. The article also analyzes Jonathan Glazer’s *Zone of Interest* (2023), which innovatively portrays Holocaust trauma through spatial and temporal distancing, reflecting evolving cinematic strategies to represent historical horrors while negotiating ethical and aesthetic limits.