Synopsis:

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is the story of one man, Lali (played by Jonah Hauer-King), a Slovakian Jew, who, in 1942, was deported to Auschwitz, the concentration camp where over a million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust.

Shortly after arrival, Lali was made one of the Tätowierer (tattooists), charged to ink identification numbers onto fellow prisoners’ arms. One day, he met Gita (played by Anna Próchniak) when tattooing her prisoner number on her arm, leading to a love that defies the horrors around them. So began a courageous and unforgettable, story. Under constant guard from a volatile Nazi SS officer Baretzki (played by Jonas Nay), Lali and Gita became determined to keep each other alive.

Around 60 years later, Lali (portrayed by Harvey Keitel) then in his 80s, met aspiring writer Heather Morris (played by Melanie Lynskey). Recently widowed, Lali found the courage to tell the world his story. In recounting his past to Heather, Lali finally confronted the traumatic ghosts of his youth and relived his memories of falling in love in the darkest of places.

Awards:

Our work on this powerful series earned two major VFX awards

Excellence in VFX - Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards
Best VFX - RTS Craft & Design Awards

The Jury for the RTS awards said “this was brilliant use of VFX, including tattoo and body replacements, with 600 expertly crafted shots that sensitively enhance the storytelling.”

We are immensely proud of our team and grateful to the production team at Synchronicity Film, VFX team Simon Giles and Alan Church and our friends at Untold Studios for their trust and collaboration in telling this poignant and important story. 

Union's Team:

VFX Supervisor David Schneider

2D Supervisor Dan Victoire

VFX Producer Tallulah Baker