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Mar 27, 2018rpavlacic rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Back when Jerry Springer had a serious talk show (real topics with real guests), he had an episode where he reunited Jews who sought escape from the Holocaust with the families who risked their lives to shelter them until the war was over. At the end of the episode, Springer related the story of his parents' escape from Amsterdam to London ... and concluded by saying that real heroes aren't those who are in the line of duty or help people get out of burning cars. "Sometimes," he said, "they just open their doors." "The Zookeeper's Wife" tells the story of two of the many "Righteous Gentiles" who put their careers and lives on the line to help Jews, in this case occupied Poland ... where the mere act of giving a Jew a glass of water earned one the death penalty. Having had their zoo's animals raided by the Nazis shortly after the occupation, the couple decided to open their doors to more than 300 people, mostly Jews but also some resistance fighters - and the creative ways they made sure their guests stayed alive. Antonina Żabińska has sometimes been called the female Oskar Schindler, and her story would be incredible except for the fact it is true. A great story about heroism in the darkest places and times, although it is graphic at times.