
Is there a movie version of the zookeeper's wife?
For the 2017 film adaptation, see The Zookeeper's Wife (film). The Zookeeper's Wife is a non-fiction book written by the poet and naturalist Diane Ackerman.
Is Jessica Chastain in the zookeeper's wife?
In September 2010, it was announced that Angela Workman was adapting Diane Ackerman's non-fiction book, The Zookeeper's Wife. On 30 April 2013, Jessica Chastain was attached to play the titular role as Antonina Żabińska, while Niki Caro signed on to direct the film.
Is Antonina Zabinski's wife the real zookeeper?
The real Zookeeper's Wife, Antonina Zabinski (top), cuddles two large cats. Actress Jessica Chastain (bottom) imitates Zabinski's love for animals in the movie. Was the damage to the Warsaw Zoo as bad as what's seen in the movie? Yes.
What if the zookeeper and his wife had been stronger?
This was a good movie, though, and if there had been more people as strong as the Zookeeper and his wife, the Nazis would have had to devote many more men from the front lines to manage the killing and invasions. SALUTE heroes!
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Is the zoo keepers wife a true story?
The extraordinary true story of a Polish couple whose zoo served as a refuge during the German occupation has been translated in the new film The Zookeeper's Wife, starring Jessica Chastain, which is now in theatres. It's based on the book of the same name by Diane Ackerman, which includes references to Ms.
Does the zookeeper's wife have a happy ending?
Just like in the movie, the real-life fate of the Zabinskis had a happy ending: Jan survived the prison camp and returned to his family.
Is the zookeeper's wife a good movie?
'The Zookeepers Wife' poorly handles a beautiful and inspiring true story. Based upon real life events that took place in Warsaw, Poland during World War II, this film fails to reach it's intended impact on the audience. The atmosphere of the film is misplaced and has an overall tone that doesn't belong.
Is the zookeeper's wife good for kids?
The Zookeeper's Wife is a drama based on the true story of heroic and brave people who helped others escape from the horrors of Nazi-occupied Warsaw. The story is very powerful and well told, but the movie is quite intense and covers very distressing material. It's therefore not recommended for children under 15 years.
Is Teresa zabinski still alive?
January 30, 2021Teresa Żabińska-Zawadzki / Died
Does the Warsaw Zoo still exist?
The Warsaw ZOO which was a hiding spot to nearly 300 Jews is still existing zoological garden which sees around 1,000,000 visitors annually, making it one of the busiest zoos in Europe.
Did the zookeeper's wife win any awards?
The Zookeeper's Wife was awarded the Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2017 Seattle Jewish Film Festival. In April 2017, Political Film Society USA nominated The Zookeeper's Wife for its PFS award, in the category "Human Rights".
What time does the zookeeper's wife take place?
1939The time is 1939 and the place is Poland, homeland of Antonina Zabinski and her husband, Dr. Jan Zabinski. The Warsaw Zoo flourishes under Jan's stewardship and Antonina's care. When their country is invaded by the Nazis, Jan and Antonina are forced to report to the Reich's newly appointed chief zoologist, Lutz Heck.
Who was the real zookeeper's wife?
Antonina ErdmanThe real Zookeeper's Wife, Antonina (born Antonina Erdman), was a Russian-born Pole who lost her parents in the early days of the Russian Revolution at the hands of the Bolsheviks. She was raised a strict Catholic and both of her children (Ryszard and Teresa) were baptized.
What did the boy yell in the zookeeper's wife?
A young boy yells, "Hitler ist kaput" as a German officer leaves the area and a woman grabs him and covers his mouth. A German officer pins a swastika pin on boy's sweater and yells, "Heil Hitler" while saluting and the boy does the same. We read that 300 people were hidden at the zoo and 298 survived.
Is the boy in the striped pajamas appropriate?
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some mature thematic material involving the Holocaust. This fictional film deals with issues surrounding the Jewish Holocaust and how two young boys—one German and one Jewish—may have perceived what was happening around them.
Why is the zookeeper's wife PG-13?
The Zookeeper's Wife (2017) Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, disturbing images, violence, brief sexuality, nudity and smoking.
When did the Zookeeper's wife come out?
The Zookeeper's Wife had its world premiere on 8 March 2017 in Warsaw, Poland, and its US premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival on 12 March 2017. The film was released in the United States on 31 March 2017 and was released in the United Kingdom on 21 April 2017.
How much did the Zookeeper's wife make?
The Zookeeper's Wife grossed $17.6 million in the United States and Canada and $8.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $26.1 million, against a production budget of $20 million.
What does Jan see when he collects garbage?
When Jan collects garbage inside the Ghetto, he sees how Jews are starving. He uses his trucks, secretly, to bring them to the zoo, working with the Underground Army to transport them to safehouses throughout the country. Jews are hidden in the zoo's cages, tunnels, and inside the Żabińskis’ house.
What was the Zookeeper's wife's award?
At the 2016 Heartland Film Festival, held each October in Indianapolis, Indiana, The Zookeeper's Wife was awarded the "Truly Moving Picture Award"; emblematic of the festival's goal to "inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film."
Who is the actress who plays Antonina in The Zookeeper's Wife?
In September 2010, it was announced that Angela Workman was adapting Diane Ackerman's non-fiction book, The Zookeeper's Wife. On 30 April 2013, Jessica Chasta in was attached to play the titular role as Antonina Żabińska, while Niki Caro signed on to direct the film. On 24 August 2015, Focus Features acquired the US rights to the film, and Daniel Brühl and Johan Heldenbergh signed on to star in it.
Where was the movie Animals filmed?
Filming. Filming began with the animals on 9 September 2015, and principal photography with the actors began on 29 September 2015, in Prague, Czech Republic. Suzie Davies served as the production designer, Andrij Parekh as the director of photography, and Bina Daigeler as the costume designer.
Who is the head of the Berlin Zoo?
As Polish resistance collapses, Dr. Lutz Heck , head of the Berlin Zoo and Adolf Hitler 's chief zoologist and Jan's professional rival, visits the zoo while Jan is away; Heck is now Hitler's chief zoologist and chief of the Warsaw Zoo. He offers to house their prized animals in Berlin, until after the war.
What is the Zookeeper's wife about?
The Zookeeper's Wife is one of those slice-of-life stories about good people risking much to save lives during the Holocaust that come from obscurity to remind you that there are still fresh, invigorating stories from a topic that can feel tapped out after 70 years.
Who played Jan in Sophie's Choice?
(4-8-17). Antonina Zabinski (Jessica Chastain) and her husband Jan (Johan Heldenbergh) are the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo. Their lives are thrown into turmoil when Germany invades and occupies Poland.
Is the Zookeeper's wife sanitized?
Reluctantly, The Zookeeper's Wife feels a bit too sanitized for the story it's telling. When it comes to cruelty and human atrocity, you don't need to shove the audience's face in the mess to fully comprehend its distaste, but overly avoiding the reality can also be a detriment.
Is the Zookeeper's Wife based on a true story?
Based on a true story, The Zookeeper's Wife is a compelling World War II drama about the effort to rescue Jews from the Nazi Holocaust. Set in Warsaw on the eve of the German invasion a family that runs a zoo decides to stay and protect their zoo and its animals, and when they become aware of the oppression and abuse that the Jews are suffering at the hands of the German soldiers they become part of the underground; sneaking Jews out of Warsaw and sheltering them in their zoo. Jessica Chastain gives an incredibly strong performance and is the heart of the film. And the costumes and sets are especially well-done, giving an authentic look and feel for the time period. Also, the score is quite evocative, heightening the drama and tension. Still, there are some storytelling issues with all the time jumps and the progression from the husband and wife hiding just a handful of people to them becoming part a full-blown operation. Yet despite having a few weaknesses, The Zookeeper's Wife is a remarkable tale of courage and sacrifice in one of the darkest periods of history.
Who was the zookeeper's wife?
The Zookeeper's Wife. It's a great—and as yet untold—story: Jan Zabinski and Antonina Zabinska, Polish husband and wife zookeepers, owners of the Warsaw Zoo, opened their zoo to Jewish refugees after the September 1939 German invasion of Poland, and continued to "host" people throughout the occupation, smuggling them out of the Warsaw ghetto, ...
What animals are let loose in Warsaw?
The tiger paces wildly in its cage. The monkeys scream into the air. When the zoo is bombed, the animals are let loose on the city, and Warsaw residents peek out their windows at the bizarre sight of a camel trotting by, or a couple of lions prowling through rubble on the corner.
Who is Diane Ackerman?
Considering that the German army had commandeered the zoo for an armory, this "hiding in plain sight" strategy was extremely risky. Diane Ackerman, an author who focuses on the natural world, told the tale in her book The Zookeeper's Wife, dovetailing stories of animal camouflage techniques with stories of human survival.
Who wrote the book The Zookeeper's Wife?
D804.66.Z33 A25 2007. The Zookeeper's Wife is a non-fiction book written by the poet and naturalist Diane Ackerman. Drawing on the unpublished diary of Antonina Żabińska, it recounts the true story of how Antonina and her husband, Jan Żabiński, director of the Warsaw Zoo, saved the lives of 300 Jews who had been imprisoned in ...
What book did the Zookeeper's wife win?
In 2008, The Zookeeper's Wife won the annual Orion Book Award from Orion Magazine; the selection committee noted, " The Zookeeper's Wife is a groundbreaking work of nonfiction in which the human relationship to nature is explored in an absolutely original way through looking at the Holocaust."
Who was the wife of the German zookeeper?
His wife, Antonina, has a remarkable empathy with animals, and their villa in the zoo acts as a nursery and residence for numerous animals, as well as for their son. This part of their life abruptly ends with the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, subsequently starting World War II (1939–1945).
What is Donna Seaman's book A Natural History of the Senses about?
Ever since A Natural History of the Senses, she has been building a galaxy of incandescent works that celebrate the unity and wonder of the living world.
Why did Diane Ackerman write the book The Zookeeper's Wife?
In The Zookeeper's Wife book, author Diane Ackerman reasons that Antonina's love for animals and her ability to see all life as precious led to her wanting to do whatever she could to help save lives. Despite her fears, she could not turn her back on suffering.
Who plays Lutz in Zookeeper's Wife?
In The Zookeeper's Wife movie, Nazi Lutz Heck (Daniel Brühl) protects the couple in part because he has a crush on Antonina (Jessica Chastain). In real life, Heck, a fellow zoologist, had been a former colleague of Antonina's husband Jan.
Why did Antonina give her guests animal names?
Yes, in order to hide their Jewish names, Antonina gave her guests animal names. For example, the Zabinskis' friend and sculptor Magdalena Gross was given the name "Starling" because according to Diane Ackerman's book, Antonina "pictured her 'flying from nest to nest' to avoid capture.".
Why did the Zabinskis hide in the zoo?
The Zookeeper's Wife true story confirms that the Zabinskis used the cages to hide fleeing Jews and partisans. They also hid them in the underground pathways connecting the animal cages.
What animals were taken to the Warsaw Zoo?
Other animals, including one of the Warsaw Zoo's main attractions, Tuzinka the elephant, were taken to German zoos, with the best and rarest animals taken for breeding purposes, including for Heck's plan to "resurrect" extinct purebred species. -WashingtonPost.com.
Where did Jan smuggle the animals?
Like in The Zookeeper's Wife movie, Jan personally smuggled some of them out of the Warsaw Ghetto himself and over to the Aryan side. He would provide them with papers, find accommodations for them, and if necessary, hide them on the grounds of the zoo or in his own personal villa with his family.
Who barked at the zoo?
A German soldier barked an order at a 15-year-old assistant at the zoo and disappeared with him behind the house. A shot was heard and the soldier re-emerged and yelled at Antonina's son Ryszard, "You're next!". As he took Ryszard behind the house, Antonina began to tremble with fear.

Overview
The Zookeeper's Wife is a 2017 war drama film directed by Niki Caro, written by Angela Workman and based on Diane Ackerman's non-fiction book of the same name. The film tells the true story of how Jan and Antonina Żabiński rescued hundreds of Polish Jews from the Germans by hiding them in their Warsaw zoo during World War II. It stars Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh, Daniel Brühl and Michael McElhatton.
Plot
Dr. Jan Żabiński is director of the Warsaw Zoo, one of the largest in 1930s Europe, assisted by his wife, Antonina.
On 1 September 1939, the aerial bombardment of Warsaw and Invasion of Poland commences. Antonina and her son Ryszard barely survive. Dr. Lutz Heck, head of the Berlin Zoo and Adolf Hitler's chief zoologist and Jan's professional rival, visits the zoo while Jan is away; as Hitler's chief zool…
Cast
• Jessica Chastain as Antonina Żabińska
• Johan Heldenbergh as Jan Żabiński
• Daniel Brühl as Lutz Heck
• Michael McElhatton as Jerzyk
Historical context
The Zookeeper's Wife is based on Diane Ackerman's non-fiction book of the same name, which relied heavily on the diaries of Antonina Żabińska, published in Poland as Ludzie i zwierzęta (translated as: People and Animals) (1968). In key aspects of historical context, the screenplay follows the story of Antonina and her husband, Jan, closely. Both worked at the Warsaw Zoo. Antonina helpe…
Production
In September 2010, it was announced that Angela Workman was adapting Diane Ackerman's non-fiction book, The Zookeeper's Wife. On 30 April 2013, Jessica Chastain was attached to play the titular role as Antonina Żabińska, while Niki Caro signed on to direct the film. On 24 August 2015, Focus Features acquired the US rights to the film, and Daniel Brühl and Johan Heldenbergh signed on to star in it.
Release
The Zookeeper's Wife had its world premiere on 8 March 2017 in Warsaw, Poland, and its US premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival on 12 March 2017. The film was released in the United States on 31 March 2017 and was released in the United Kingdom on 21 April 2017. It premiered in Spain at the Barcelona-Sant Jordi International Film Festival on 22 April 2017. It also premiered in France at the 43rd Deauville Film Festival on 7 September 2017.
Reception
The Zookeeper's Wife grossed $17.6 million in the United States and Canada and $8.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $26.1 million, against a production budget of $20 million.
In North America, the film grossed $3.3 million in its opening weekend from 541 theaters (a per-theater average of $6,191), finishing 10th at the box office. It remained the top grossing indie film in its second, third and fourth weeks of release.
See also
• List of Holocaust films