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Nicholas Winton, a hero who rescued numerous children from the Nazis, was incredibly humble. The producer of the upcoming biographical drama, One Life, shared that Winton initially declined a suggestion to make a film about his life.
Iain Canning informed the Observer that approximately five years prior to Winton’s passing at the age of 106 in 2015, he and fellow producer Emile Sherman paid a visit to his residence in Maidenhead while taking a break from filming their movie, The King’s Speech.
During their tea time, they brought up the idea of creating a movie about the man who courageously rescued 669 children from German-occupied Czechoslovakia before the start of World War II. However, Winton politely declined their offer.
Canning recalled that it was the most unpleasant meeting he has ever had, even to this day. The man he met with was around 99 or 100 years old. They expressed their admiration for his remarkable achievement and proposed making a film about that specific moment in his life. However, the man declined, stating that no one else needed to know about it and that those who needed to know already did.
Canning remarked, “He had a gentle gaze and we were deeply moved by him.”
The film “The King’s Speech” was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won four, including Best Motion Picture. Despite this success, the producers remained grateful to Winton. Following his passing, they collaborated with his daughter, Barbara, who provided them with access to his archives. Sadly, Barbara passed away in 2022 while filming was still in progress.
According to Canning, Winton reluctantly agreed to his daughter writing his biography and eventually became receptive to having his life examined in other methods. However, he made it clear that he did not want to be depicted as being perfect and that his achievements were attainable by others.
Barbara recommended reaching out to Sir Anthony Hopkins for the part. Canning shared, “He promptly responded, asking if he could have Barbara’s email in order to request her permission to portray her father.”
The famous actor, who won an Academy Award, was motivated to portray a character who helped rescue children from certain death in concentration camps such as Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Belsen.
One Life, released on 1 January, tells the story of “Nicky” Winton who, as a young London broker, visited Prague in December 1938 and found families who had fled the rise of the Nazis in Germany and Austria. They were living in desperate conditions with little or no shelter or food, and under threat of Nazi invasion. He immediately responded to their plight and, in a race against time, tried to save as many children as he could before the borders closed.
He would forever be troubled by the destiny of 251 children whom he could not save. These children had embarked on a train from Prague station, but unfortunately, it was the same day that war was declared and all borders were shut down. The Nazis forced them off the train and tragically, most of them were killed.
The movie depicts the 1988 live episode of the BBC TV show That’s Life!, where Winton reunited with some of the children he had saved, who were now adults. This experience helped him to reconcile with the guilt and sorrow he had been carrying.
The movie depicts the scene where presenter Esther Rantzen asked the audience to stand up if they were saved by Nicky Winton. The entire audience stood up.
During the filming process, Hopkins was surprised to learn that the individuals in the audience were actually the children rescued by Winton. He described the experience as emotional.
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Winton’s rescues included Lisa Midwinter, who was 88 years old and only three years old when she was transported on the Kindertransport. Despite the passage of time, some memories from that experience have remained with her, such as the vivid recollection of everyone crying.
In a rare occurrence, both of her parents were able to evade capture and reunite with her. Her father, a pediatrician, and his wife established an orphanage for Czech children in Stoke-on-Trent.
She was never able to uncover the means by which they managed to flee: “It was too difficult for them to discuss.” Her grandparents and aunt passed away in the concentration camps. During an interview with the Observer, she was accompanied by her son, Nick Wyse, who revealed that they learned about her escape through the Kindertransport program on That’s Life! They came across a photo from Winton’s scrapbook, which included a picture of her at the age of three.
Later on, she became acquainted with Winton and recalls his delightful sense of humor and remarkable humility.
The woman’s child stated that it is difficult to remain completely impartial towards the movie because of their personal attachment to it. However, when attempting to take a step back, Hopkins’ performance is truly remarkable. He exudes great seriousness and compassion. The film is inspiring and serves as a symbol of hope, demonstrating that even in the midst of great tragedies, there are opportunities to do good.
Mike Levy, a historian who specializes in the Kindertransport and is also the author of Get the Children Out!, had the opportunity to meet with Winton multiple times. He found Winton to be extremely humble and somewhat uncomfortable with the attention and recognition he received after his appearance on That’s Life!
He believed he had fulfilled his responsibilities and had progressed in certain aspects. He was not someone who desired attention or attention-seeking behavior.
Source: theguardian.com
