A co-commission between Stan, Sky and Peacock, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a six-part drama that stars Jonah Hauer-King as Lali Sokolov, a Jewish prisoner who is given the job of tattooing identification numbers on fellow prisoners’ arms in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during World War Two.
One day, he meets Gita (Anna Próchniak) while she is waiting in line to be tattooed. They experience love at first sight, and so begins a life-affirming, and human story, told through one man’s memory and experience of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The series is an adaptation of the 2018 Holocaust novel of the same name by New Zealand author Heather Morris, who is on board as a story consultant.
The cast also includes New Zealand actress Melanie Lynskey as Morris, Harvey Keitel as the older Lali, and Jonas Nay in the role of Stefan Baretzki, the Nazi officer assigned to guard Lali.
Tali Shalom-Ezer directed all six episodes, while Evan Placey, also associate producer, and Gabbie Asher were episode writers alongside Australian scribe Jacquelin Perske, who also executive produces.
Claire Mundell is executive producing for UK/Australian company Synchronicity Films, which is working alongside Sky Studios and All3Media International. Serena Thompson is the executive producer for Sky Studios, while Cailah Scobie and Amanda Duthie are executive producers for Stan.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz will premiere May 2 on Stan.