EXCLUSIVE: Harvey Keitel tells Deadline there's been "a sense of fulfillment" with The Tattooist Of Auschwitz. He plays Lali Sokolov in the drama series, which is based on the Heather Morris bestseller and had a strong launch on Sky in the UK and Peacock in the US.
THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ (2024) Trailer Harvey Keitel
The limited series follows Jewish-Slovakian Holocaust survivor Sokolov and tells the love story between him and Gita, whom he met in the Auschwitz concentration camp. The pair fell in love and built a life together, and their story was dramatized in Morris' novel. Synchronicity Films produced the show in association with Sky Studios for Sky, Peacock and Australian Stan.
Sokolov told Morris the story that inspired the book and series for several years before his death in 2006. After securing the book rights, Synchronicity founder and series EP Claire Mundell was set on having Keitel play Sokolov and showed her then-UK agent footage of Morris' time with him.
After accepting the role, Academy Award nominee Keitel also watched the tapes. "When I saw the videos of Lali, I had no impression of myself," he says. "He was one of the millions of unfortunates who suffered in Auschwitz. There were no survivors in Auschwitz. Only those who died and those who didn't."
