A new documentary accompaniment to the series adaptation of New Zealand author Heather Morris’ 2018 Holocaust novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz is set to air on Stan in January.
Co-commissioned alongside Sky and Hearst Networks EMEA, Stephen Bennett’sThe Tattooist’s Son: Journey to Auschwitz follows Gary Sokolov, the only son of Gita and Lali Sokolov, one of the real-life tattooists of Auschwitz who is the subject of Morris’ novel.
Cameras are with Gary as he embarks on a journey to the notorious German death camp, where his mother and father met as Slovakian Jewish prisoners and ended up falling in love. While he cannot make it with his father, who died in 2006, the younger Sokolov undertakes the trip knowing that his parents’ story has been brought to the world via the book and drama series, which premiered on Stan in May.
Along with Morris, he also spends time with Jonah Hauer-King and Anna Próchniak, who portrayed his parents in the series; Holocaust trauma psychiatrist George Halasz; and 100-year-old Holocaust and Auschwitz survivor, Abram Goldberg.
Filmed across Melbourne, Slovakia, and Poland, The Tattooist’s Son: Journey to Auschwitz features footage of the real Lali Sokolov, clips from the drama series, archive footage, and interviews.
It’s the first foray into documentary features for UK/Australian company Synchronicity Films, which produced the series with Sky Studios and All3Media International.
Founder and creative director Claire Mundell serves as executive producer, with the production team including AP Martin Campbell, line producer Priya Bhakta, researcher Irina Glinski, and production coordinator Scott Watkins, production coordinator. Cailah Scobie and Alicia Brown are executive producing for Stan.
The film was commissioned for Sky History by Hearst Networks EMEA VP of programming Dan Korn, VP and Sky acting director of documentaries and factual Hayley Reynolds/ Kathryn Taylor was the commissioning editor for Sky. The National Lottery provided additional funding through Screen Scotland.
Mundell said that by sharing Gary’s story, they hoped to give audiences an insight into “the burden of intergenerational trauma and encourage empathy for the children of survivors coping with their parents’ painful legacies”.
“Having brought Lali and Gita’s incredible love story to the screen in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, it is a privilege for us to walk with Gary through this emotional and personal pilgrimage for his parents,” she said.
Scobie expected the documentary to have an “equally profound impact” as the drama series that preceded it.
“Exploring intergenerational trauma and the enduring pain and resilience of those who lived through the Holocaust, The Tattooist’s Son: Journey to Auschwitz is nothing short of powerful, and will hopefully foster healing and awareness in future generations,” she said.