The True Story of the Tattooist of Auschwitz

In the darkest place, love found a way to survive.

Lali Sokolov's extraordinary story is fascinating, firstly brought to light in the international bestseller The Tattooist of Auschwitz by New Zealander author Heather Morris, it has recently been adapted into a TV series. 

Lali Sokolov, a young Slovak Jew deported to Auschwitz in 1942 survives by becoming the camp's tattooist, and meets Gita while he is tattooing her number— it is love at first sight. Risking his own life, Lali uses his position to try to ensure their survival in the midst of horror. Reunited and married after the liberation of the camps, they flee Soviet Czechoslovakia for Australia, where they live in peace. 

To mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, this documentary takes us back to this dark chapter in history, through an emotional journey with their son Gary, as he gathers the courage to visit Auschwitz for the first time and be filmed following his parents’ footsteps.

Told through their own personal accounts, archive footage and evocative scenes, the film sheds light on their incredible love story while revisiting the major stages of the Holocaust and the workings of Auschwitz, the largest concentration camp system built by the Third Reich and a symbol of Nazi abomination. Lali and Gita Sokolov’s story stands as a powerful tribute to human endurance.