A New Film About Joseph Bau, Artist and Holocaust Survivor, Is in Production, Starring Emile Hirsch

Emile Hirsch (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”) and Inbar Lavi (“Fauda”) lead the cast of WWII-set drama “Bau, Artist at War,” which is now in production.

The film is based on the true story of Joseph and Rebecca Bau whose wedding in the Plaszow concentration camp was depicted in Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List.” It follows Joseph’s journey as an artist and prisoner in the Plaszow camp and his fight for justice years later.

Using his skills to forge IDs, Joseph manages to stay alive while helping hundreds of prisoners escape from the camp, with his creativity and humor providing hope in a place of hopelessness. Rebecca, also a Resistance worker, serves as a spy in Kommandant Goeth’s (Josh Blacker) office. After the liquidation of the Plaszow camp, Rebecca is sent to Auschwitz, while Joseph is sent to Oskar Schindler’s (Edward Foy) factory in Brunnlitz.

Against a backdrop of horror and suffering, the two inmates fall in love and marry in a secret ceremony in the women’s barracks. Years later, Joseph and Rebecca face the demons of their past, bringing their Nazi oppressors to justice. 

The film also sheds light on the fact that there were other persecuted groups in the camps and offers an inclusive representation of the Holocaust by featuring characters of Afro-Germanic and LGBTQ+ backgrounds, both in speaking roles as well as throughout background extras. It is directed by Sean McNamara (“The King’s Daughter,” “On a Wing and a Prayer”).

Producers include David Brookwell, Marc Griffith, Michelle Griffith and Deborah Smerecnik. The screenplay is by Smerecnik and Ron Bass (“Rain Man,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” “Entrapment”), and Sonia Kifferstein.

A Bau feature documentary is also in the works. It’s intended to be a companion piece to the feature film. The film is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.