New Delhi: The Tattooist of Auschwitz will soon be here, taking audiences on a more personal journey through one of the most horrific places on Earth—a place rife with murder, torture, and hatred—and the blossoming love story that managed to endure it, both in real life and on screen.
New Zealand author Heather Morris wrote a Holocaust book in 2018 called The Tattooist of Auschwitz. As far as 2018 bestsellers go, it topped both the New York Times and international lists. The book recounts the tale of Slovakian Jew Lale Sokolov, who, when incarcerated in Auschwitz in 1942, developed feelings for a female he was inking while he was there.
Some have praised the book for its gripping storyline based on real-life events, while the Auschwitz Memorial Research Center has accused the book of factual errors that might lead to historical miseducation.
Plot
The moving true tale of Jewish prisoner Lale Sokolov—who, during World War Two, was assigned the chore of tattooing identification numbers on the forearm of inmates at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp—is based on the eponymously named book.
In addition to following a present-day, octogenarian Lale as he tries to remember his traumatic love story set in one of the most horrific locations on Earth, the limited series will alternate between flashbacks to a younger Lale and Gita, who are both fighting for survival at that horrific time.
Murder, rape, torture, and experimentation were the appetisers to a life of misery at concentration camps like Auschwitz. Lale and Gita become resolute in their will to endure and ensure each other’s survival, even though they are continually watched by the erratic Nazi SS officer Baretzki.
When and Where to Watch?
On May 2, 2024, Peacock in the US and Sky Atlantic in the UK will both broadcast The Tattooist of Auschwitz. But from May 3, 2024, Jio Cinema will air every episode of the series in India.
In its six episodes, the show both sheds light on historical tragedies and offers optimism about the future.
Cast and Crew
Harvey Keitel portrays the older Lale Sokolov in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, while Jonah Hauer-King plays the younger Lale. Among many others, Melanie Lynskey plays Heather Morris, and talented actress Anna Próchniak plays Gita Furman.
Writer Jacquelin Perske penned The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Claire Mundell’s banner was used for producing the series. In addition to co-producing the series, Tali Shalom-Ezer has directed each of its six episodes.