Oscar nominee Harvey Keitel is reflecting on historical horrors and undying love in the first teaser for The Tattooist of Auschwitz. The Peacock event series based on Heather Morris‘s international bestseller tells the true story of Holocaust survivor Lali Sokolov during and after his time living in the infamously cruel concentration camp in German-occupied Poland. Keitel plays Lali 60 years removed from his internment, while Jonah Hauer-King lives out the horrific events of his life in flashbacks to 1942. In the footage, Lali experiences the brutality of Nazi officers but also finds his soulmate in fellow inmate Gita (Anna Próchniak) after tattooing her arm, sparking a relationship that would help both of them survive.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is told in two halves—one following the younger Lali and his fight for survival, while the other tracks the older Lali as he finds the courage to open up to the author Morris (Melanie Lynskey) for her book following Gita Sokolov‘s death. After a brief glimpse at the harsh gray environment of the camp, the teaser cuts to Lali years later as he stares out his window, reflecting on his life. Upon sitting down with Morris, he remarks on how Auschwitz-Birkenau was nothing but horror and cruelty every day as he tattooed fellow inmates with their respective numbers and sent them off to their likely deaths. Things changed for him, however, after meeting Gita, the one aspect of the camp he didn’t despise. While he remembers the beatings, marches, and executions the Nazi officers regularly performed, love was his inspiration to survive.

The first footage sets up a gut-wrenching watch that Peacock describes as “a courageous, unforgettable, and human story.” Each episode will track Lali and Gita’s journey from their first meeting to their brushes with danger, particularly the mercurial Nazi SS officer Baretzki (Jonas Nay), and their eventual reunion outside the confines of Auschwitz-Birkenau. While the heart of The Tattooist of Auschwitz lies in the couple’s fight for survival, it’ll also delve into the feelings of Lali in his 80s and his hesitation to come forward with his account. Keitel portrays the pain Lali feels as well as the never-ending love for his late wife Gita as he tears up remembering her pleas to keep living, no matter the cost. Adding to the emotions is a haunting score from legendary composer Hans Zimmer and his Prehistoric Planet partner Kara Telve that fills the teaser.

How ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ Differs From Its Source Material

Writing duties for Peacock’s The Tattooist of Auschwitz adaptation fell to Evan Placey, Gabbie Asher, and Jacquelin Perske with Morris on board as a story consultant. One thing that will separate the series from the author’s work is its presentation of Morris‘s visits with Sokolov. Executive producer Claire Mundell praised Lynskey in an official statement for portraying Morris with “innate empathy, inquisitiveness, and openness” and described how the recreation of those interviews adds layers to Sokolov and emphasizes the enduring effect Auschwitz had on him and the power of his and Gita’s love story:

“Her role and relationship with Lali within the series is a clear example of how the screen adaptation differs from the book, as we’re framing the story from Lali’s real meetings with Heather in his Melbourne apartment. Lali unburdens to her what he can, but as he increasingly begins to trust Heather, he shares the full horrors of the trauma he still suffers as an elderly survivor. Being introduced by a mutual acquaintance, they met over coffee and then proceeded to spend the next three years developing a relationship. I’m not sure if either of them realized at the beginning, but clearly what began is the telling of Lali’s and Gita’s beautiful love story”

The Tattooist of Auschwitz premieres on Peacock on May 2. Check out the new trailer below:

via Collider