Kitty, Anne Frank’s imaginary friend to whom the famous diary was dedicated, comes to life in the modern day in the Amsterdam house and embarks on a journey to find Anne, who she believes is still alive.
Synopsis
WHERE IS ANNE FRANK begins with a miracle: Kitty, the imaginary friend to whom Anne Frank wrote in her famous Diary, comes to life in present-day Amsterdam. Unaware that75 years have gone by, Kitty is convinced that if she is alive, then Anne must be alive too. WHERE IS ANNE FRANK tells the story of Kitty’s quest across contemporary Europe to find her beloved friend. Armed with the precious Diary and with help from her friend Peter, who runs a secret shelter for undocumented refugees, Kitty follows Anne’s traces, from the Annex to her tragic end in the Holocaust. Disoriented by our broken world, and the injustices that child refugees endure, Kitty wants to fulfill Anne’s cause. Through her honesty, she presents a message of hope and generosity addressed to future generations.
About the Director
Ari Folman is an Israeli director, screenwriter, and film score composer. He has written for several successful Israeli TV series, including the award-winning In Therapy (Be Tipul), which was the basis for the HBO series In Treatment. He is the director ofthe Oscar-nominated Waltz with Bashir and The Congress.
Statement from Anne Frank Fonds
Shortly after Otto Frank published the Diary of his daughter Anne Frank in 1947 for the first time, he decided to have it adapted for stage and film. The success of the Broadway show “The Diary of a Young Girl“ (1956) followed by the Oscar winning movie by George Stevens was the beginning of the success of the Diary. To ensure that all royalties were used to support charitable and educational work, Otto Frank established the Anne Frank Fonds in Basel in 1963, which he appointed his universal heir. His nephew Buddy Elias, a famous actor in his own right, was chaired the organization after Otto Frank’s death. Against this background the foundation initiated the animation film in which Anne Frank’s imaginary friend comes to life. Together with the family the foundation decided to reach out to a new generation in their own language. Comics and animation are complex genres. The Anne Frank Fonds Basel asked Ari Folman to write the script and direct the movie. It took years to develop this ambitious project, which shows for the first time the full dimension of The Diary of Anne Frank, spanning an arc from her story to the present day. The film represents an important introduction to lessons of history, the Holocaust, discrimination and anti-Semitism. Ari Folman presents a courageous story on the highest artistic level, based on the The Diary of Anne Frank. AFF proudly presents the movie together with all its partners, 75 years after the first publication of the Diary.
Festivals, Screenings, & Awards
– Budapesti Zsidó és Izraeli Filmfesztivál – 2021
– Geneva International Jewish Film Festival – 2021
– Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival – 2022
– Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival – 2021
– Moscow Jewish Film Festival – 2021
– Seret: The Netherlands Israeli Film and Television Festival – 2022
– Toronto International Film Festival
– Rutgers Jewish Film Festival – 2023
– Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival – 2022
– Yesh! (Zürich) – 2022
– Festival de Cannes – 2023
– CPH:DOX – 2023
– Sitges – Catalonian International Film Festival 2021
– Luxembourg City Film Festival 2022
– Silk Road International Film Festival China 2021
-New York Children’s Film Festival
Year
2021
Film Type
Drama/Animation
Film Length
99 minutes
Director/Screenplay
Ari Folman
Based on The Diary of a Young Girl
by Anne Frank
Producer
Jani Thiltges
Yves Kugelmann
Ari Folman
Alexander Rodnyansky
Starring
Emily Carey
Ruby Stokes
Cinematography
Tristan Oliver
Edited by
Nili Feller
Music
Karen O
Ben Goldwasser
Trailer
Stills
