Jonah Hauer-King and Anna Próchniak talk to Melissa Nathoo about their experience filming The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Report by Nathoom. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00 When you're filming a show like this, what is the mood like on set?
00:04 Is it very heavy or do you kind of, afterwards you're like,
00:08 "Okay, we need to lighten things up because it's such a heavy show"?
00:11 Yeah, I think it was about finding a balance.
00:14 It's a great question because on the one hand,
00:16 the whole cast and crew, I think, knew that we were really there
00:21 doing something important and had a job to do
00:23 and so we wanted to bring a level of professionalism and focus
00:26 probably beyond anything we've ever experienced before.
00:29 At the same time, I don't know if it would have felt somehow indulgent
00:32 to try to say that if we were sad or if we were depressed,
00:40 that was in any way honouring what people actually went through
00:43 given the kind of safe and controlled environment we were.
00:46 So I think inevitably the atmosphere did feel different
00:50 because of where we were on set,
00:52 because we were in this Auschwitz reenactment and recreation.
00:57 But we had a job to do and we wanted to make sure that,
01:02 I think the best way of serving the story and honouring Lali and Gita
01:05 was to just get the best out of each other and work as hard as we could.
01:10 But like I said, there are some light moments
01:12 which is between the two of you when you're together, which was lovely.
01:16 What was that like actually getting to do those bits together?
01:19 It was amazing because the power of this story is the love story
01:24 and the essence of it.
01:26 And it's just so amazing to be able to watch Lali and Gita
01:32 find love and hope in the world filled with hatred and horror
01:36 and their love stories, their decision to remain human
01:41 in this factory of death and dehumanisation.
01:45 And the act of giving love and receiving love is an act of defiance.
01:50 It's so brave of them, right?
01:53 And it's the power that sustains them in this dark place.
02:01 Anna, I do have to ask you that I spoke to Melanie a few minutes ago
02:05 and she was saying that, obviously she didn't film with you guys
02:08 because you'd done all of your bit, but she did say,
02:11 all the cast and crew were like, "Oh, we really miss Jonah."
02:13 And I'm curious, Anna, did you miss Jonah?
02:15 Of course, of course. He's just so kind.
02:18 Like, he's the kindest person I know. Like, really?
02:23 And Jonah has been very supportive and he's such an amazing actor.
02:28 I'm so proud of you, really. I'm so, so, so proud of you.
02:32 And I'm so grateful that I could share this experience with you
02:37 and to watch you. Amazing experience.
02:40 I'm sure you feel the same, though.
02:41 I do feel the same. I can't really imagine...
02:44 No pressure.
02:44 No, I can't imagine doing it with anyone else.
02:48 She was my partner in crime and I felt so safe
02:52 and trusting of her and able to be vulnerable
02:56 in such difficult situations.
02:58 And yeah, it was a funny kind of quirk of the shoot,
03:01 which was that we did our three or four months
03:04 and then there was another few weeks at the end,
03:05 which I wasn't involved in.
03:07 And they may have been missing me, but I was missing them.
03:09 Like, I was sent on a plane, I was out there.
03:13 So I wanted to be there with them.
03:14 But yeah, it was a very strange thing to be so part of something
03:18 and then to leave and know it was still happening.
03:21 It was strange.
03:22 Both of your... I don't want to say characters,
03:24 because obviously they're real people,
03:26 but were given something by their family when they went away.
03:31 I'm curious, when you guys...
03:33 Because you're always so much filming,
03:35 is there anything that you always carry with you
03:37 to remind you of home?
03:38 That's a good question.
03:39 It's an odd one, but I have... I'm wearing them now.
03:44 I have two rings that were given to me
03:46 by different people in my life
03:47 and I sort of wear them everywhere I go.
03:48 I have the same.
03:49 Oh, you do?
03:49 I really do.
03:50 Two rings from my dad.
03:52 And this one used to be...
03:53 I mean, this one used to be on my mum's
03:57 and this one is mine.
03:59 I love how it's...
04:00 Listen, I have a ring from my mum as well,
04:02 which is funny.
04:04 Something you can keep close.
04:05 - It's a pretty cheek, isn't it? - Yeah.
04:05 And you can keep it close.
04:06 You can wear it on you. I love that.
04:07 And obviously, like I said, this is a show.
04:11 It's based on the true stories, everything.
04:12 Does it change you in any way, making a show like this?
04:17 I found it quite inspiring to make the show.
04:19 I mean, it's very formative because you do something
04:22 that's probably more challenging
04:24 than any professional experience you've taken on before
04:27 and you learn so much from that as an actor.
04:29 But as a person, I think we learn so much
04:32 from our characters, from Lali, from Geeta
04:36 and their strength and their humanity
04:38 and the way that they committed to each other
04:41 is such a powerful and unique thing.
04:44 So I was very kind of inspired by that.
04:47 But like I said, it's brilliantly portrayed, guys.
04:50 So congratulations and good luck with it.
04:52 - Thank you so much. - Cheers. Nice to meet you.