One Life details the incredible story of Sir Nicholas Winton who helped save 669 children from central Europe during World War Two and while the British humanitarian tragically died in 2015, much of his family appeared at the filmâs London premiere.
Among the countless faces on the red carpet were Henry Warriner and his wife, the nephew of Doreen Warriner who alongside Trevor Chadwick helped Sir Nicholas compile the lists of children and travelled with them on the Kindertransport trains to the UK.
Speaking to Daily Express, Henry chuckled as he noted heâd never imagined being on a red carpet and lamented that due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes at the time he wasnât able to meet the cast, more specifically BBC star Romola Garai who plays his aunt in the new film.
He explained: âIt was my aunt Doreen Warriner who features in the beginning of the film, so I would love to know how they worked out how to play her because I knew her very well.â
When the couple first heard about One Lifeâs production they were incredibly concerned about how Doreen would be portrayed, adding: âI think weâre the last two who remember her.â
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Henry revealed he had been in touch with the film company for years during filming but admitted: âWe didnât know if she was going to be Nicholas Wintersâ mistress or a Nazi spy or what.
âI think itâs actually very very kind and portrays her as she was.â
As for Sir Nicholas, portrayed by Sir Anthony Hopkins, his son Nick is still in awe of the impeccable casting, telling Express: âThe way he captures my fatherâs mannerisms, itâs uncanny.
âI was in tears: âThatâs him! Heâs there!â I know that Sir Anthony did a lot of work in preparing, looking at footage of my father and how he behaved, boy has he got it to a tee! Itâs just astonishing.â
Nick, much like his father, doesnât quite like having the spotlight on him and was rather looking forward to seeing what impact the Hollywood film will have on the big screen but admitted the project didnât come without some qualms.
He shared: âOne of the things that I struggle with a little is that Pa is recognized for saving 669 children in 1939âŠ
âHe lived for 106 years and that was nine months in a part-time project after he finished work. He did so many other things and this story just touches on the fact that he also made a big difference on lots of other ways.â
When asked about the pressure of living up to his fatherâs legacy, Nick casually chuckled and declared: âIâm still working out what I want to do when I grow up.â
Also on the packed carpet were a number of people who were saved by Sir Nicholasâ actions, including sisters Eva and Milena Paddock the latter of whom wore the very same tag she was given on the train.
Milena was nine when she boarded the train to Liverpool Street and can still remember being worried about her three-year-old sister who was âcompletely traumatizedâ and ânever spokeâ throughout the journey.
Eva, who is now an educator, hopes One Life will be âadded to educational materialsâ in schools and highlighted that it shouldn’t be restricted to lessons about the holocaust.
She shared: âIt will allow teachers to talk about things like altruism and taking a lead when you see something wrong.
âKids have bullying experiences, it doesnât need to be directly connected, but they can understand they need to make an effort when something needs to be done.â
One Life releases in cinemas today, January 1.