Darlow Smithson tells the story of the forgotten Anne Frank for BBC One
Darlow Smithson Productions, an IMG Media Company, has been commissioned by BBC One to produce Rutka’s Diary, a 1x40minute documentary telling the extraordinary tale of a 14 year old Polish girl, Rutka Laskier, who was murdered at Auschwitz in 1943.
In 2005, the school notebook in which Rutka recorded her last months in the ghetto of Bedzin was made public, six decades after she hid it under the floorboards of her home there. In her diary, Rutka details her life in the ghetto in 1943 – not just the Nazi atrocities, physical hardship and hunger, but also how she was developing as a young woman, enduring intense fear and at times extreme boredom. She also tells of how she made a daring escape from one of the early ‘aktions’ - Nazi round-ups of Jews for transportation.
The documentary will unravel Rutka’s story through the eyes of her half-sister, Israeli academic Zahava Scherz, on a journey to discover the life Rutka led in Bedzin before the Holocaust.
Ali Turner, Executive Producer, Darlow Smithson Productions, says, “Rutka’s Diary is the lesser known true story of a young girl living in times of great fear and hardship. Like our soon to be aired BBC One drama series The Diary of Anne Frank, this documentary explores Rutka’s life as she heroically struggles to survive in war torn Poland.”
Rutka’s Diary is a Darlow Smithson Production commissioned for BBC One. It is produced and directed by Alexander Marengo and Executive Produced by Ali Turner for Darlow Smithson Productions. Jacquie Hughes is the commissioning executive for the BBC.