Shocking Warning from Anthony Hopkins: ‘Holocaust Could Happen Again Any Moment’ in ‘One Life’ Drama!

In 1988, the British Broadcasting Corporation aired an episode on “That’s Life!” featuring Nicholas Winton, a former stockbroker who rescued 669 children from the Holocaust during the months preceding World War II. The episode notably surprised Winton by seating him among several now-grown survivors of the Kindertransport. Years later, Iain Canning, the Academy Award-winning producer of “The King’s Speech,” stumbled upon this memorable clip and was intrigued about the story behind it.

“The moment was filled with stoic emotion,” recounts Canning to The Times. “It stirred me to explore his life and story through the medium of film.”

Together with Emile Sherman, with whom he recently co-founded See-Saw Films, Canning visited Winton in 2010, when he was 101 years old. Canning paints Winton as “modest, giving, and exceptionally kind,” but notes that Winton was hesitant to be portrayed as a hero on the screen. “He held the belief that everyone has the potential to do the right thing when the time calls for it,” Canning remembers.

Several years later, the producers commissioned scriptwriters Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake to adapt “If It’s Not Impossible…: The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton,” a 2014 biography penned by Winton’s daughter, Barbara Winton. She gave her consent to the film, named “One Life” — on the condition that her father was portrayed by Anthony Hopkins.

Although the actor initially declined the role, he accepted when the opportunity resurfaced in 2021.

“It might sound peculiar to say that this story personally resonates with me since I didn’t experience the Holocaust, but I do have vivid memories of the war,” says Hopkins, 86, who is currently penning his memoirs and was happy to share his thoughts in a suite at London’s Dorchester Hotel. (He insists we have pastries and we comply.) “I remember the destruction caused by the bombs. That historical period is entwined with my life. It’s ingrained in my consciousness.”

“One Life” alternates between two timelines. Hopkins portrays Winton in the late 1980s, reflecting on his past. Actor Johnny Flynn plays Winton in 1938 when he goes with a friend to pre-war Prague and finds that thousands of people have sought refuge in camps in Czechoslovakia after escaping Nazi persecution. Despite Winton’s job as a stockbroker at the time, he teamed up with the British Committee for Refugees, based in Prague. He conceived a plan to transport children across Europe by train to England.

“It’s difficult for us, living post-Holocaust, to comprehend that, back in 1938, people were unaware of the direction these events were headed,” Flynn says. “It was a palpable threat, certainly for people back in Britain. But Nicholas, who was of Jewish descent, resonated with the predicament of these people. Owing to his empathetic nature, he went there, witnessed the situation, and returned to England determined to help these desperate, dying people.”

Winton collaborated with a group of like-minded individuals, including Doreen Warriner (Romola Garai), Trevor Chadwick (Alex Sharp), and his mother Babette (Helena Bonham Carter). Traveling between London and Prague, he raised funds, battled with the Home Office for visas for the children, many of whom were Jewish, and located foster families willing to accommodate them. Winton meticulously documented his efforts in a scrapbook, which is now exhibited in Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem memorial. The scrapbook contains photographs of the children, which he took and developed himself. The filmmakers also referenced Warriner’s 1984 book “A Winter in Prague” and Chadwick’s personal records, along with other historical accounts to ensure authenticity.

“You always strive to stay as faithful to history as possible — or at least that’s my approach,” says director James Hawes. “It lends authenticity. Naturally, in a drama, you have to condense things due to time constraints, but we went the extra mile to stick to the truth. There are instances, such as in the BBC studio, where we had a highly accurate record of the proceedings, even though we slightly altered that. But a vast portion of it is grounded in truth.”

Although author Barbara Winton passed away midway through the filming, which primarily took place in England and then in Prague, Hawes maintained close contact with Winton’s grandson and son-in-law. “We could literally call them up for photos and specific details,” Hawes shares. “Because once you commence production beyond the script, the props team needs to know, ‘What type of car did they drive? What kind of meals would they eat while watching TV?’ We were meticulous about such details.”

Flynn filmed his scenes after Hopkins finished, allowing him to observe the senior actor’s portrayal of Winton. He also had access to footage of Winton in 1938, including a clip of him holding a rescued child, which was duplicated in the film. While the film is told from Winton’s perspective, it underscores that he was not alone in his efforts.

“Nicholas was aware that he wasn’t the most crucial part of the operation,” Flynn says. “He was merely the person who was there as a friendly face for the children to see and meet. He was busy back in England handling the bureaucratic aspects with his mother, which was all managed from their living room. They had to be quite firm with the Home Office and that’s clearly depicted in the film. Nothing needed to be overstated.”

To replicate the episode of “That’s Life!” the team constructed a replica of the 1980s BBC studio at Pinewood outside London. Instead of casting actors to play the adult survivors, the filmmakers invited the family members of the original Kindertransport children to be in the studio audience. Hawes estimates nearly 50 of them participated.

“We collaborated with organizations to ensure that we reached as many children as possible to inform them about the event and invite them to be in the audience,” says producer Joanna Laurie. “The response was overwhelming. On the day, everyone was moved to tears.”

Although the scene was emotionally challenging to film, it was crucial for the filmmakers to achieve authenticity. Hawes filmed it from Winton’s viewpoint, providing a fresh perspective on the well-known clip.

“It was a profound experience,” Hopkins shares. “But James didn’t want to sensationalize it. He didn’t want to make it overly sentimental.”

Hawes adds that much of the emotion in the scene emanated from the crowd itself. “If you observe the row [of people] directly behind Tony in the second audience scene, there’s a family of three sisters and a brother and you can see the emotion they’re conveying,” he says. “It’s heart-wrenching just to recall it. They felt it deeply and genuinely.”

Despite Winton’s unwillingness to be acknowledged, “One Life” emphasizes the significance of doing good deeds — particularly when unnoticed.

“He wasn’t trying to be a savior,” Flynn says. “He was merely doing what he could at that moment. Nowadays, there’s a lot of skepticism about doing good deeds because of the potential to show off. No good deed goes unnoticed by Instagram. But it’s nice to recall a time when that wasn’t a factor.”

Hopkins concurs that today “everyone wants to showcase their intelligence.” He views a film like “One Life” as an opportunity for viewers to be reminded of the consequences if we fail to compromise or assist. He recalls meeting an Auschwitz survivor over two decades ago, who told him she visits schools to educate them that the Holocaust could recur.

“It’s easy to overlook,” Hopkins adds. “And no one wants to be preached and have it forced down their throats. But I hope for at least an awareness. This can happen again at any moment and if we are not cognizant of that, we are doomed. But I believe humans also have the ability to survive and veer away from the edge.”