Inside The Making Of 'The Zookeeper's Wife'

A film adaptation of Diane Ackerman’s novel, “The Zookeeper’s Wife” tells the story of an unheralded female heroine, Antonina Zabinski (portrayed by Jessica Chastain), who along with her husband (Johan Heldenbergh), exemplified bravery and compassion, sheltering over 300 people at their beloved Warsaw Zoo during the invasion of Poland during World War II. Saved from the Warsaw Ghetto, those rescued were later sent on escape routes to freedom. Directed by Niki Caro, the film celebrates life, humanity and courage.

This was not an overnight project; in fact, it took a journey of ten years to get the film made. Starting in 2007 when producer Kim Zubick read the book, she got involved to bring the powerful story to the big screen.

“I felt in my soul that Antonina’s story needed to be told," she told Patch. "Wars are not just fought on the front lines; here was someone battling to hold on to what is good in people. Her story could inspire all of us to do the same."

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As it turned out, Zubick encountered a lot of rejections for the film to be made.

"People told me that I was insane to try to make this movie happen," she said. "It was really an act of stubbornness, I think, that it exists today. And it’s absolutely been worthwhile."

Zubick had to secure the rights before shooting. She had to get the cooperation of the surviving children, Rys and Teresa, and it took six months of careful negotiation. (Watch the behind-the-scenes video below.)

"They were skeptical and rightfully so," she explained. "Their attorney said, ‘I’m only gonna let them sign this paper if you will look out for us.’ And I said, ‘you have my word.’ In the end, they joined forces with us, and it was really fun."

During the publicity tour, some wondered as to whether it was by design that department positions had to be led by women.

“It wasn’t by design, apart from the fact that we wanted to hire the people that were best for the job, and it just so happened that these people were women,” Zubick said. “I believe also this particular story is told in such a way that it attracted more women.”

Director Niki Caro’s vision was not about a war story. In an interview during the press tour, she mentioned, “I embraced how this story was very exotic, very domestic, and very feminine. Above all, it was an opportunity to explore what makes us human – and, humane.”

“Working with Niki was wonderful,” said Zubick. “It was abundantly clear that she knew exactly how to make this movie. She’s both strong in her vision but also collaborative and flexible. She’s very pragmatic and within all of that, she has a fierce and creative instinct.”

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So it’s fitting that the movie poster has this endearing picture of Jessica Chastain holding a little cub, a sign of being ‘human and humane.’

“Oh yeah! And Jessica is an animal person for sure," said Zubick. "We all interacted with those cubs. That was the hardest part, keeping the crew off the animals. Jessica is a big animal lover, and everything you see in the film that portrays her alongside the animals is real. She was great!"

In terms of shooting in Poland, Zubick noted that it was rather hard due to two reasons. So, they shot in Prague, Czech Republic, instead.

“We would have loved to have shot in Poland, but financially it was difficult at the time," she explained. "They didn’t have tax incentives; whereas in Czech Republic, it was affordable. The other difficulty was that Warsaw of 1939 was very hard to re-create in Warsaw; whereas in Prague, you could, in almost any other street.”

And so — what does Zubick want us to take away from the movie?

"It was a privilege to make this movie, and I hope it does inspire you as much as it has inspired me to find courage and the right choice at the 'wrong' time, and I hope you enjoy the film."

“The Zookeeper’s Wife" is now available in Blu-ray and Digital formats.

Watch the cast and crew talk about "The Zookeeper's Wife"

Top Photo: Niki Caro (L) and Jessica Chastain attend the premiere of Focus Features' 'The Zookeeper's Wife' (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)