The Tattooist of Auschwitz author Heather Morris reveals Holocaust survivor's ... trends now
The Tattooist of Auschwitz became a best-selling novel upon its 2018 release and has now been brought to screen in a harrowing and emotional Holocaust drama.
The powerful novel and six-part series is based on the incredible true story of Ludwig 'Lali/Lale' Sokolov and his wife Gita Furman, who fell in love after meeting at Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during the Holocaust.
The compelling story follows Slovakian Jew Lali, who was forced to work tattooing registration numbers on his fellow prisoners during his imprisonment to secure a marginally safer position in the camp.
As well as detailing the horrors Lali experienced in the Nazi extermination camp, it also follows his courageous journey with Gita as they fell in love against all odds.
New Zealand author Heather Morris, who told her friend Lali's story in her bestselling book, spoke exclusively to Daily Mail Australia ahead of the Stan series' May 2 release.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz became a best-selling novel in 2018 and has now been brought to screen in a harrowing Holocaust drama (pictured: Jonah Hauer-King and Anna Próchniak)
Heather detailed her emotional reaction to watching Lali's story play out on screen, and reflected on watching the series with Lali and Gita's only child, Gary Sokolov.
Lali spent three years telling Heather his powerful life story before his death in 2006 aged 90, after his wife Gita passed away in 2003 at the age of 78.
The couple rarely spoke to their son Gary, now in his 60s, about their imprisonment in Auschwitz-Birkenau due to their trauma, and he first learnt the full truth of their emotional story by reading Heather's manuscripts.
'Gita and Lali, her words were, "we will ever only talk about this in the privacy of our bedroom",' Heather explained.
Heather shared the heart-wrenching reaction Gary, who lives in Melbourne with his family, had watching their harrowing love story on screen, saying he felt like it had given him his late parents' back.
Heather said: 'When Gary saw [the series] - and I was sitting beside him as he watched the series play out - he was breaking bones in my hands squeezing it so much, my shoulder was soaking wet from him sobbing on it.
New Zealand author Heather Morris, who penned the bestselling book, spoke exclusively to Daily Mail Australia about the incredible story ahead of the Stan series' May 2 release
'He just kept saying "thank you for giving me back my dad, you gave me back my dad, I can't distinguish".'
Heather also detailed the emotional moment Gary met actress Anna Próchniak, who plays his mother Gita alongside Jonah Hauer-King as his father Lali.
'[Gary] didn't know as much about his parents' life as I did, because they hadn't talked to him,' she shared.
'He learnt about it by reading the manuscript the year before the book was published, particularly with Gita, and when he saw Anna in the role - and then he met her - and he was just a mess.
'He said "you gave me the mother I never knew", of course, because she never spoke about her time. Anna did such a brilliant portrayal of Gita.'
'Seeing Jonah and Anna just embrace him, and him in return, they are so connected now in what they have given him,' she added.
Unlike the novel, the six-part series is framed by an older version of Lali, played by Harvey Keitel, telling his story to Heather, portrayed by Melanie Lynskey.
The powerful novel is based on the incredible true story of Ludwig 'Lali' Sokolov (pictured with Heather), who fell in love with his wife Gita Furman after meeting at Auschwitz-Birkenau
Heather detailed her emotional reaction to watching Lali's story play out on screen, and reflected on watching the series with Lali and Gita's only child, Gary Sokolov
Heather admitted she was reluctant to bring herself into the story, because she wanted the focus to stay solely on Lali, but was persuaded by the opportunity for an actor to play an older Lali, as she knew him.
She said: 'Initially, of course, I said look it's not my story, I didn't want it to be seen that way. But when it was pointed out that it was an opportunity for an actor to play Lali the man that I knew, how good would that be, and I said "OK, you won me over".'
Heather admitted it was 'weird' seeing New Zealand actress Melanie, known for her role in Yellowjackets, playing her, but said she just wanted Melanie to be there to 'interact' with Harvey, rather than being a perfect impersonation of her.
She shared: '[Melanie] was charming and wonderful and after spending time with her - and she'd watched many videos of me talking and lectures and interviews - and then had to say to me that she was nothing like me, and how could she portray me.
'So I was very grateful for her having that time with me to come to an agreement of "well don't play me, play a simile of me, because your role there is to be that person for Harvey to interact with". And she was brilliant.'
Heather, who was a script consultant on the series, said American actor Harvey watched many videos of Lali in a bid to learn about the real-life man, with Gary saying he was indistinguishable from his real-life father.
Heather told how Gary was left in tears and blown away by Harvey Keitel's (left) portrayal of his father (Lali is pictured right), saying he felt like he was given his father back
Unlike the novel, the six-part series is framed by an older version of Lali, played by Harvey Keitel, telling his story to Heather, portrayed by Melanie Lynskey
'[Harvey] wanted to know all the nitty-gritty about my interaction [with Lali], because that's what he was playing, the interaction between him and I - and that was something personal between me and Lali,' Heather shared.
'He was very keen to understand as much as he could, he was cheeky and charming in dragging that out of me, but he did and he went above and beyond.'
In bringing conversations between Heather and Lali to screen, viewers are given a glimpse into Lali's
