DEADLINE: ‘The Survivor’ Toronto Film Festival Review: Barry Levinson Directs Ben Foster In Extraordinary Transformation Into Auschwitz Prisoner Who Boxes To Stay Alive

The remarkable true story of Harry Haft is made even more pertinent by the simple fact that his story has not been the subject of a large-scale feature film — until now. It took a script from a young Australian, Justine Juel Gillmer (who also boxes), to generate interest for Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson (Rainman, Diner, Bugsy, Wag the Dog, Good Morning Vietnam), whose own memories as a child in an encounter with a Jewish concentration camp survivor helped spark his interest in the tale of Haft, a man who basically boxed to stay alive in Auschwitz during World War II. Imagine if you had a film with elements of both Raging Bull and Schindler’s List, but with a true story so unique it really becomes its own powerful tale of a man trying to survive the haunting memory of war experiences well beyond the war itself. Read more here +