{"id":7408,"date":"2017-03-21T16:42:12","date_gmt":"2017-03-21T23:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.westsidemommy.com\/site\/?p=7408"},"modified":"2017-03-21T17:22:13","modified_gmt":"2017-03-22T00:22:13","slug":"the-zookeepers-wife-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.westsidemommy.com\/site\/the-zookeepers-wife-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Interesting Things About The Zookeeper’s Wife"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A few weeks ago, I attended a media preview for The Zookeeper’s Wife<\/em><\/strong><\/a> – a movie starring Jessica Chastain<\/strong><\/a>, based on the best-selling book\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>by Diane Ackerman<\/strong>. Jessica Chastain beautifully and powerfully portrays lead character Antonina \u017babi\u0144ska’s\u00a0<\/strong>courage, compassion, and heroic efforts\u00a0in helping hundreds of Jewish refugees\u00a0survive the Holocaust via the zoo she owned with her husband, Dr. Jan\u00a0\u017babi\u0144ski<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Here’s four\u00a0interesting things about the movie:<\/p>\n

Made by Women<\/h2>\n

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The Zookeeper’s Wife<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>is a film written and directed by women about a female heroine. Here are some key female players in the making of the film<\/p>\n

Jessica Chastain<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(lead actress and executive producer)
\nNiki Caro<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(director)
\nAngela Workman<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(screenplay)
\nDiane Ackerman<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(author or book the film is based on)
\nDiane Miller Levin<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(producer)<\/p>\n

Based on true events<\/h2>\n

Diane Ackerman’s nonfiction book is based on the diaries\u00a0Antonina \u017babi\u0144ska\u00a0<\/strong>kept during the war. The State of Israel honored the\u00a0\u017babi\u0144skis\u00a0<\/strong>as Righteous Among the Nations for their selfless actions. During WWII, they sheltered over 300 Jewish refugees and assisted them to freedom.<\/p>\n

Jessica Chastain on working with the animals<\/h2>\n

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From the phone interview we had with Jessica Chastain after the screening:<\/em><\/p>\n

“…Even before I arrived on set…the thing I was most excited about was working with the animals.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“…I was kissing all over that skunk and cuddling you know, in the scene.\u00a0 <\/span>And, there was not one animal that I felt afraid of or felt it wasn\u2019t a good situation.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“…you know if you don\u2019t force your energy onto the animals then they really open up to you.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“…When I was in Prague with the animals, I spent as much of my free time as I could with them, especially the lion cubs, the elephants for sure.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“…it was a great joy for me…it didn\u2019t feel like work at all but any time I had free time, I just would do whatever I could to be with the animals. “<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s a story that celebrates life in all forms<\/h2>\n

From the phone interview we had with Jessica Chastain after the screening:<\/em><\/p>\n

“And so there\u2019s this like idea…I don\u2019t think animals and people are that different.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0I think sometimes in mankind we, we try to separate ourselves.\u00a0 <\/span>You know, different religions and countries and ethnicities and try to point to the other.\u00a0 <\/span>And instead, for me I love this idea of every living being, being protected and being free and being honored to live their lives in the most healthy um, compassionate way possible.\u00a0 <\/span>I felt that the\u00a0The Zookeeper’s Wife<\/a><\/em><\/strong> really explored that message.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Producer Diane Miller Levin comments:<\/em><\/p>\n

“This story celebrates life in all forms. Diane Ackerman showed us a world where humans, animals, the spirit of all living things, are valued. Specifically, it’s about the heroism of a woman living in a time of unmitigated fear and destruction…”<\/p>\n

The Zookeeper’s Wife<\/h1>\n