The Zookeeper's Wife

"They gave all they had to save all they could"

Apr 7 2017 PG-13 2h 7m
Biography, Drama, History

The account of keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, Jan and Antonina Zabinski, who helped save hundreds of people and animals during the Nazi invasion.

Plot

As war brews over in 1939 Warsaw, and while life is still running its course, the Germans are gradually making their presence felt, with Adolf Hitler secretly preparing for the invasion of Poland. Under those volatile circumstances, the couple of Jan Zabinski and Antonina Zabinska continue with their daily routine as owners of the Warsaw Zoo; however, their life's work, and the city, will turn to ashes when the Luftwaffe's horrific Stukas begin to hammer the capital. Now, with the zoo liquidated for the war effort, and many of its animals tragically perished, what was once a menagerie, will now serve as a sanctuary, where the pair of veterinarians can hide the persecuted Polish-Jewish people in plain sight. Indeed, that was the dangerous plan of the two altruists, who, regardless of the consequences, refused to wither before the Nazi menace, and sheltered three hundred Jewish men, women, and children right under the noses of the enemy. Will the world remember the zookeeper's wife?

Written by

Angela Workman, Diane Ackerman

Directed by

Niki Caro

Production Countries

United States of America, United Kingdom, Czech Republic

Production Companies

LD Entertainment, Czech Anglo Productions, Scion Films

Languages

English

Awards

2 wins & 4 nominations total

Scores
# of Votes
48,659
Average Rating
7 out of 10
Metascore
57
Popularity
NA