Branko Lustig

Me hice esta foto con Branko en Huesca, hace 2 años. Le dije que comía algo muy grasiento y que iba a pedir al cocinero que cambiase su plato. Fue ese dia cuando me dijo que era un viejo judio croata que habia comido cosas peores. Levantó su manga y me mostró su número de prisionero en Auschwitz. No supe decir nada. Yo queria que pasearamos por Sanabria.

La primera vez que hablamos me contó una anecdota. Yo trabajaba en un monte lleno de barro y nieve. Y me contó: "Hace años hacia tu trabajo en las montañas rocosas de USA. Había lobos y yo abría paso al equipo con un rifle subido en el camión con la pala quitanieve. Espero que tengas una buena polla. Aquí tu no tendras rifle."

Born in Osijek, Croatia (9th June 1932), Lustig survived two years in Nazi concentration camps. Following the war, he began his career as an assistant director at Jadran Films, Croatia´s largest film and television studio. He subsequently worked as a production manager on such European location productions as "Sophie´s Choice" and "Fiddler on the Roof." He went on to serve as assistant director on The Tin Drum and as assistant director, associate producer and European production manager for the mini-series Winds of War and its sequel War and Remembrance. He was also a producer and assistant director on the Emmy-winning telefilm Drug Wars: The Camarena Story and the sci-fi thriller Deadlock and was a producer on the mini-series The Great Escape: The Final Chapter and The Intruders.

He worked as a location manager, assistant director and production manager from the 1970s through the 1990s and began producing as an associate producer for the 1983 TV mini-series "The Winds of War" and its follow-up "War and Remembrance" (1988). Other notable producing credits include HANNIBAL and BLACK HAWK DOWN (both 2001, both exec. producer) and TRIPOLI (producer) and SMOKE & MIRRORS (line producer) (both 2004). Lustig who is a Jewish surviver of Auschwitz, made a cameo apperance in Schindler's List as the maitre'de of an exclusive SS popular nightclub.

Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Hannibal (2002) Black Hawk Down (2001)

Gladiator (2000) The Peacemaker (1997)

The Saint (1997)

Schindler's List (1993) Sophie's Choice

No rifle, Mr. Lustig. Strength and honour.