Post by Editor on Mar 4, 2013 21:50:22 GMT
I was the girl in the red coat in Schindler's List... and it ruined my life: Trauma of girl who became holocaust icon
Oliwia Dabrowska, 24, played iconic role in 1993 film Schindler's List
Playing 'the girl in red coat' left her 'ashamed' and traumatised for years
Oliwia's character's coat is the only colour in the black-and-white film
By SARA MALM
PUBLISHED: 15:15, 4 March 2013 | UPDATED: 20:51, 4 March 2013
A little girl in a red coat becomes the catalyst which saves the lives of more than 1,000 Jews destined for the concentration camps in Steven Spielberg’s celebrated film Schindler's List.
But for the now 24-year-old woman who played the role in 1993, the iconic appearance left her traumatised for years.
Oliwia Dabrowska was three years old when she starred as the girl in the red coat – the only flash of colour in the otherwise black-and-white film.
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Unwilling star: Oliwia Dabrowska, aged three, plays the iconic 'girl in the red coat' in 1993 Oscar winning Schindler's List
Traumatised: Oliwia Dabrowska, 24, played a little girl in red coat in film Schindler's List and says it ruined years of her life
'I was ashamed of being in the movie and angry with my mother and father when they told anyone about the part,' the university student told The Times.
She added that starring in the film led to much unwanted attention and harassment from well-meaning adults and school friends.
‘People said: “It must be so important to you, you must know so much about the Holocaust” I was frustrated by it all.’
Oliwia, from Krakow, said she was ‘horrified’ when watching the film for the first time at the age of 11, breaking her promise to director Steven Spielberg to wait until she was 18.
More...
Full shocking scale of the Holocaust revealed as researchers find Nazis created 42,500 camps and ghettos (not the 7,000 originally expected) to persecute the Jews across Europe
Holocaust row Lib Dem MP who condemned 'the Jews' to escape punishment while he has TRAINING in how not to be anti-Semitic
She told the newspaper: 'I kept it secret for a long, long time, though at high school people got to know on the internet.
'People said: "It must be so important to you, you must know so much about the Holocaust." I was frustrated by it all.'
One of the most disturbing scenes is one showing the SS officer Amon Goeth, played by Ralph Fiennes, who arbitrarily shoots women and children from his window.
Oliwia told The Times: 'It was too horrible. I could not understand much, but I was sure that I didn't want to watch ever again in my life.'
In the film, Ms Dabrowska plays a ‘little girl in the red coat’ spotted by Nazi industrialist Oskar Schindler during the liquidation of the Krakow ghetto in 1943.
Real life hero: Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler, who sees the girl in the red coat and realises the impact of the Holocaust in the Oscar winning Schindler's List, which is based on true events
On-screen horror: A still from the 1993 film depicting Plazow concentration camp and its vicious commander Amon Goth, centre, played by Ralph Fiennes
Traumatic: One of the most disturbing scenes for Oliwia is one showing the SS officer Amon Goeth, played by Ralph Fiennes, who arbitrarily shoots women and children from his window
'He was right': Oliwia said she should have listened to Steven Spielberg, pictured at the recognition of the 20th Anniversary of Schindler's List last week, and waited until she was 18 before watching Schindler's List
Nazi businessman and factory owner Oskar Schindler, played by Liam Neeson, sees her wander through the crowds, her coat standing out among the sea of grey, and later spots her on a cart carrying dead bodies.
It is after this harrowing experience that Schindler decides to draw up a list of Jewish workers in order to spare as many lives as he can.
The film is based on the real life actions of Oskar Schindler, who was credited with saving more than 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust.
Ms Dabrowska says that although she now feels honoured to have played the role, it took her years to come to terms with it.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2287890/Schindlers-List-Trauma-girl-red-coat-holocaust-icon.html
Oliwia Dabrowska, 24, played iconic role in 1993 film Schindler's List
Playing 'the girl in red coat' left her 'ashamed' and traumatised for years
Oliwia's character's coat is the only colour in the black-and-white film
By SARA MALM
PUBLISHED: 15:15, 4 March 2013 | UPDATED: 20:51, 4 March 2013
A little girl in a red coat becomes the catalyst which saves the lives of more than 1,000 Jews destined for the concentration camps in Steven Spielberg’s celebrated film Schindler's List.
But for the now 24-year-old woman who played the role in 1993, the iconic appearance left her traumatised for years.
Oliwia Dabrowska was three years old when she starred as the girl in the red coat – the only flash of colour in the otherwise black-and-white film.
Scroll down for video
Unwilling star: Oliwia Dabrowska, aged three, plays the iconic 'girl in the red coat' in 1993 Oscar winning Schindler's List
Traumatised: Oliwia Dabrowska, 24, played a little girl in red coat in film Schindler's List and says it ruined years of her life
'I was ashamed of being in the movie and angry with my mother and father when they told anyone about the part,' the university student told The Times.
She added that starring in the film led to much unwanted attention and harassment from well-meaning adults and school friends.
‘People said: “It must be so important to you, you must know so much about the Holocaust” I was frustrated by it all.’
Oliwia, from Krakow, said she was ‘horrified’ when watching the film for the first time at the age of 11, breaking her promise to director Steven Spielberg to wait until she was 18.
More...
Full shocking scale of the Holocaust revealed as researchers find Nazis created 42,500 camps and ghettos (not the 7,000 originally expected) to persecute the Jews across Europe
Holocaust row Lib Dem MP who condemned 'the Jews' to escape punishment while he has TRAINING in how not to be anti-Semitic
She told the newspaper: 'I kept it secret for a long, long time, though at high school people got to know on the internet.
'People said: "It must be so important to you, you must know so much about the Holocaust." I was frustrated by it all.'
One of the most disturbing scenes is one showing the SS officer Amon Goeth, played by Ralph Fiennes, who arbitrarily shoots women and children from his window.
Oliwia told The Times: 'It was too horrible. I could not understand much, but I was sure that I didn't want to watch ever again in my life.'
In the film, Ms Dabrowska plays a ‘little girl in the red coat’ spotted by Nazi industrialist Oskar Schindler during the liquidation of the Krakow ghetto in 1943.
Real life hero: Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler, who sees the girl in the red coat and realises the impact of the Holocaust in the Oscar winning Schindler's List, which is based on true events
On-screen horror: A still from the 1993 film depicting Plazow concentration camp and its vicious commander Amon Goth, centre, played by Ralph Fiennes
Traumatic: One of the most disturbing scenes for Oliwia is one showing the SS officer Amon Goeth, played by Ralph Fiennes, who arbitrarily shoots women and children from his window
'He was right': Oliwia said she should have listened to Steven Spielberg, pictured at the recognition of the 20th Anniversary of Schindler's List last week, and waited until she was 18 before watching Schindler's List
Nazi businessman and factory owner Oskar Schindler, played by Liam Neeson, sees her wander through the crowds, her coat standing out among the sea of grey, and later spots her on a cart carrying dead bodies.
It is after this harrowing experience that Schindler decides to draw up a list of Jewish workers in order to spare as many lives as he can.
The film is based on the real life actions of Oskar Schindler, who was credited with saving more than 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust.
Ms Dabrowska says that although she now feels honoured to have played the role, it took her years to come to terms with it.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2287890/Schindlers-List-Trauma-girl-red-coat-holocaust-icon.html