Jonah Hauer-King as Lali Sokolov seen here walking through Auschwitz (promo pic)
The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a new TV mini-series about the Holocaust produced by the NBC streaming platform Peacock and England’s Sky. The series was directed by Israeli filmmaker Tali Shalom-Ezer.
It stars Academy Award nominee Harvey Keitel (The Irishman, Youth), Emmy Award nominee Melanie Lynskey (The Last of Us, Yellowjackets), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid, World on Fire), Anna Próchniak (Baptiste, Warsaw 44), and Jonas Nay (Deutschland 83, 86, 89).
Let’s hope The Tattooist of Auschwitz joins the ranks of dramas based on true Holocaust stories like “Schindler’s List” and “The Pianist” and that it does not end up being just some schlock melodrama like the mini-series “Holocaust” from the 1970s.
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Harvey Keitel previously appeared in a Holocaust film based on a true story. In the 2001 film “The Grey Zone” he played a Nazi concentration camp guard.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on the international bestselling novel of that name by Heather Morris. The series is inspired by the real-life story of Lali and Gita Sokolov, who met while prisoners in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during the Holocaust. The series features a score from multi–Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer (Inception, Interstellar, Dune) and Kara Talve (Faraway Downs, Prehistoric Planet).
Lali (Jonah Hauer-King) arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1942, and shortly after arrival, he was made one of the tätowierer (tattooists), charged to ink identification numbers onto fellow prisoners’ arms. One day, he meets Gita (Anna Próchniak) when tattooing her prisoner number on her arm. They experience love at first sight, and so begins a courageous, unforgettable, and human story. Under constant guard from a volatile Nazi SS officer Baretzki (Jonas Nay), Lali and Gita became determined to keep each other alive.
Director and Co-Executive Producer Tali Shalom-Ezer said talked about “what a huge challenge it was going to be to make viewers believe in a love story that existed in this dark place and time.”
Claire Mundell, Executive Producer of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Creative Director at Synchronicity Films, spoke about how pleased she was that stars like Harvey Keitel were in the cast saying, “To have Harvey [Keitel] join us is a dream come true. The commitment and authenticity with which Harvey approached the portrayal of Lali was breath-taking to watch. It was important that both young and old Lali were played authentically by Jewish actors who were able to deliver the part with nuance, empathy, compassion, and the complexity that we need from that character.”
Tali Shalom-Ezer also spoke about the difficulty in presenting the Holocaust in an authentic fashion on television.
“Because we’re recreating historical locations, as a first point of call,” she said, “Claire and I went to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau alongside our amazing Heads of Department. I can remember discussing with David Katznelson, the cinematographer, and Nili Feller my lead editor, what a huge challenge it would be to recreate this concentration camp on screen.”
The Tattooist of Auschwitz will premiere in May.
