Picture of the movie Where is Anne Frank © Purple Whale Films
Where is Anne Frank, an animated fable by Ari Folman
In his latest feature, Ari Folman follows the journey of Kitty, Anne Frank's imaginary friend to whom the 13-year-old girl dedicated her diary. With Where is Anne Frank, the director of Waltz with Bashir (Vals Im Bachir), an autobiographical chronicle presented in Competition in 2008, brings us a story set in the present day, reminding us perhaps that it is not so far removed from that of the holocaust victim herself. This tender animation is presented Out of Competition, aimed at young audiences but appreciated by adults, too.
Kitty, Anne Frank's imaginary friend, mysteriously wakes up in the today's Amsterdam, in the iconic location visited by tourists from all over the world, the house where Anne and her family took refuge in the war. Armed with the precious manuscript, in which Anne recorded her suffering during the Second World War, Kitty sets out to find her, along with her new friend Peter, who offers his help to illegal refugees; only to discover to her astonishment that Anne is everywhere and nowhere at once.
Where is Anne Frank is the fruit of an initiative by the Anne-Frank Foundation, guardian of the young girl's diary, adapted by Ari Folman at the insistence of his mother, an Auschwitz survivor. Illustrated by David Polonsky and with Yoni Goodman on the storyboard and animation, the film is shot partly in stop-motion under the influence of Andy Gent, designer of the puppets for Wes Anderson's animated films. Through this film, the Israeli director wanted to reach one audience in particular: young people who would never have had the strength to read the diary. In light of the recent migrant crisis in Europe, his work offers a gentle way to breathe new life, meaning, and hope into Anne Frank's message.
“What matters is doing everything possible to preserve a single soul.”
