Intense War Drama Arrived on Peacock, And It's the Most Compelling Movie Since Schindler's List

It seems that after Schindler's List, the recent The Zone of Interest, and hundreds of other films and TV series, it is becoming more and more difficult to talk about the Second World War and the Holocaust. The viewers have looked into this abyss of human suffering from the perspective of the victims and the perpetrators; as direct participants and witnesses of other people's grief.

Should we expect something new from the next project that we don't know yet? Or is the task not to let history be forgotten? You'll find the answer below.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is Based on a Real Story

On May 2, the mini-series The Tattooist of Auschwitz was released on Peacock – an adaptation of the bestseller of the same name by Heather Morris, which is based on the fate of a real concentration camp prisoner, Ludwig Sokolov.

For people interested in the history of the Second World War and the fate of its witnesses, the name Ludwig "Lali" Sokolov is probably familiar. Especially if you've read the book by New Zealand author Heather Morris.

At the beginning of the war, Sokolov was ordered by the German government to go to Prague to earn money. The death camps had not yet been built, the terrible evidence of the ongoing nightmare seemed to be rumors, and the authorities promised to train the arriving Jews in new professions.

But from Prague they were sent to Poland to build the Auschwitz concentration camp, of which they would become prisoners. Ludwig nearly died of typhus, but survived and became an assistant to the camp tattooist, who inked the prisoners with their personal numbers. Sokolov's position served him as armor – he became "invisible" to the Nazi executioners.

But even in the utter horror of camp life, Sokolov found a ray of light – it was his acquaintance with prisoner Gita, with whom he fell in love and whose life he tried to make a little less painful.

Sokolov's Story Waited Decades to Be Told

After the war, which Sokolov miraculously survived, he remained silent about his experiences for decades, fearing accusations of collaboration. It was not until 2003, on the verge of death, that he told Heather Morris the story of his life. It took her another 11 years to publish Sokolov's memoirs and tell the world about his difficult fate.

In reality, Sokolov and Gita found each other after the war, got married and lived a long life together, emigrating to Australia, where they had a son.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is an Important Reminder

Morris's book was published and found a readership, and now it has been adapted for the screen.

And perhaps this is the most important thing: the memory of Sokolov is alive, his story, like the stories of millions of other victims of the war, has not been forgotten and serves as a reminder of what heroism and madness a human being is capable of.