68 | NOVEMBER 28 • 2019 

Soul
of blessed memory

continued from page 67

Schindler’
s List Producer, Holocaust 
Survivor Branko Lustig Dead at 87

(JTA) — Branko Lustig, the 
Oscar-winning producer of the 
Holocaust film Schindler’
s List, 
has died.
Lustig died Thursday, Nov. 
14, 2019, at his home in Croatia 
at the age of 87. His death was 
announced by the Festival of 
Tolerance, a Jewish film festival 
held in the Croatian capital of 
Zagreb for the last 13 years.
Born to a Jewish family 
in 1932, Lustig was impris-
oned in Auschwitz during the 
Holocaust. Much of his family 
was killed by the Nazis, includ-
ing his father and grandmother.
He began his film career in 
the Yugoslavian film industry 
in the 1950s and worked as a 

production supervisor on the 
1982 Hollywood film Sophie’
s 
Choice, part of which was shot 
in Yugoslavia.
Lustig’
s work on American 
films helped him move to Los 
Angeles in the 1980s, where 
he met Steven Spielberg, who 
directed Schindler’
s List. The 
film won the Oscar for best pic-
ture in 1994.
“My number was 83317,
” 
Lustig said in an emotional 
speech at the award ceremony. 
“I’
m a Holocaust survivor. It’
s a 
long way from Auschwitz to this 
stage.
”
Lustig went on to recall the 
people he saw die in the camps, 
who urged him to be a witness 

to their murder.
“By helping Steven to make 
this movie, I hope I fulfill my 
obligation to the innocent vic-
tims of the Holocaust,
” Lustig 
continued. “In the name of the 6 
million Jews killed in the Shoah 
and other victims of the Nazis, 
I want to thank everyone who 
acknowledged this movie.
”
Lustig went on to work with 
other Hollywood luminaries. 

He produced the 1997 film The 
Peacemaker starring George 
Clooney and Nicole Kidman 
and served as executive pro-
ducer of the 2001 Ridley Scott 
film Black Hawk Down. He won 
another Oscar for producing 
Scott’
s 2000 film Gladiator, 
which also won best picture.
A decade ago, he returned to 
Croatia to become president of 
the Festival of Tolerance. 

Branko Lustig accepting the 
Academy Award for Schindler’
s List

SCREENSHOT