The Tattooist of Auschwitz tells the remarkable true story of Lali and Gita Sokolov, who fell in love when they were both imprisoned in the concentration camp during World War Two.
Based on Heather Morris' book, the six-part drama will air from Thursday, May 2 on Sky Atlantic, Sky Showcase and NOW in the UK, and on NBC Universal’s streaming site Peacock in the US.
The season begins as elderly Jewish widower Lali (Reservoir Dogs' Harvey Keitel) tells budding author Heather (The Last of Us' Melanie Lynskey) about how he met his late wife Gita.
Flashbacks then show Lali as a young man (World on Fire and The Little Mermaid’s Jonah Hauer-King) living in Eastern Europe, but in 1942, he is sent to Auschwitz and becomes a tattooist, marking identification numbers on his fellow prisoners. When he has to tattoo new arrival Gita (Baptiste’s Anna Próchniak), they forge an instant connection. But sadistic SS guard Stefan Baretzki (The Deutschland trilogy's Jonas Nay) is watching their every move as they fight for their survival…
Here, Jonah Hauer-King and Anna Próchniak tell What To Watch about The Tattooist of Auschwitz…
The Tattooist of Auschwitz is incredibly moving. What drew you both to the drama?
Anna Próchniak: “I’d read the book and I understand the phenomenon of it, because the story is extraordinary and powerful. Gita and Lali find love and hope in a world filled with hatred and horror and in the most inhumane of places. It's beautiful.”
Jonah Hauer-King: “Yes, I’d read it too and I became so invested in Lali and Gita’s love story, it felt unique and surprising for them to have this profound connection, and to highlight humanity in such a dark place felt inspiring.”
How did you approach the roles?
Anna Próchniak: “Playing a real character is scary because you feel the responsibility, it’s huge. I knew it wasn't going to be an easy story but I love being challenged and the way to approach it is to make it as honestly as possible with sensitivity and love for Gita.”
Jonah Hauer-King: “Heather gave me good advice, which was to get to know Lali before the camp, as a young man who wants to move to Paris and fall in love. Then in the camp, he’s just trying to get through day by day. Gita gives Lali purpose and meaning. It's purely about survival and he wants to get out of there, so he can be with Gita.”
Tell us about the interaction between Baretzki and Lali…
Jonah Hauer-King: “We didn’t want to create a traditional captive and captor relationship. Lali is terrified of Baretzki and thinks he's a monster. But he's also aware that he owes his life to him. And Baretzki has this strange admiration for Lali, which is extraordinary, given their power dynamic and status.”
What impact does surviving Auschwitz have on the older Lali when he tells his story to Heather in Australia, where he and Gita eventually emigrated?
Jonah Hauer-King: “We wanted to show the extent of the trauma over many decades. It doesn't end when the camp is liberated or at the end of the war. It's carried on forever and it’s passed on.”
Anna Próchniak: “Yes, what the show has done well is to incorporate the modern timeline to emphasise that this is Lali’s memory and he faces the ghosts of the past.”
Jonah, did you enjoy sharing the role of Lali with Harvey Keitel?
Jonah Hauer-King: “It’s a highlight of my professional life so far. I'm such a fan, he's a wonderful actor, so it was a privilege. We knew we both needed to create an essence of Lali but we were telling a story in different times with decades between us. I felt incredibly connected to Harvey.”
What was it like watching Gita and Lali’s testimonies for your research?
Jonah Hauer-King: “You get the sense of them through the book and through talking to Heather but for them to be on screen, like they’re talking to you, is surreal. It’s so intimate and like a conversation, which is unusual when you're playing a role.”
Anna Próchniak: “Yes, you can see their emotions are still there so strongly. It's powerful to see footage of Gita, to watch her tiny movements and gestures and the way she smiled, and to hear her voice.”
How did you find filming on the Auschwitz set that was created in Bratislava?
Anna Próchniak: “It was rewarding but challenging to go into the camp every day and into that mindset. It took a toll on all the cast and crew and we knew that wasn't even a patch on what it would have been like for the real people.”
Jonah Hauer-King: “It was a strange experience going to that set, which they've meticulously recreated. The camp takes on its own character in the story. It's such a foreboding and imposing place, it was frightening.”
Gita and Lali have both sadly passed away. How do you think they might feel about the drama?
Anna Próchniak: “I asked Heather, ‘Do you think they would like it?’ She was like, ‘I'm sure they’re beyond happy. They’re dancing in heaven.’”
Jonah Hauer-King: “And their son, Gary, gave us his blessing. He burst into tears and said, ‘It’s like I'm talking to my mum and dad, thank you.’ That, for us, was the most meaningful part of this process. You want to feel they would be proud.”
The Tattooist of Auschwitz airs in the UK from Thursday, May 2 at 9pm on Sky Atlantic and Sky Showcase. The season will also be available on NOW. In the US, the show will air from Thursday, May 2 on NBC Universal’s streaming service Peacock.
