Known for his haunting work on the holocaust, Italian chemist and author Primo Levi had his book IF THIS IS A MAN brought to the stage in September 2004. In 1944, Levi was imprisoned in Auschwitz by German authorities who discovered he was Jewish. He spent 10 months incarcerated in barbaric conditions, then wrote of his horrifying experiences in IF THIS IS A MAN. The play was a one-man production from actor Antony Sher, whose notable performances include turns in the comedic SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE and John Schlesinger's meditation on wartime romance, YANKS. This filmed version of the play sees Sher acting out some harrowing material as he brings Levi's words to life, and proves that he is an actor capable of plummeting to the depths of human despair with alarming ease.—Anonymous