Parents' Guide to

Where Is Anne Frank

By Stefan Pape, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Profound animation tackles heavy themes with positivity.

Movie NR 2022 99 minutes
Where is Anne Frank movie poster

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • Where is Anne Frank: Anne Frank and her imaginary friend Kitty sit on a bed together
  • Where is Anne Frank: Nazis are presented like faceless ghouls
  • Where is Anne Frank: Kitty and a young boy look longingly into each other's eyes

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

beardeddad
beardeddad Parent of 8-year-old
October 4, 2023
age 10+

Poignant, moving representation of history

Beautifully done animation, poignant story and comparison of prisoners of war with modern day refugees provide lots of discussion points to have with your children. There are a couple of odd parts that I didn’t think were necessary to the story such as when the characters talk about boys at school who’ve “done it” and also where Anne and Peter talk about male “sex parts”. However, this may have been to represent things that are actually written in Anne Frank’s diary. But on the whole a lovely, captivating and thoughtful representation of the Anne Frank story.
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What's the Story?

In WHERE IS ANNE FRANK, a storm hits present day Amsterdam and the Anne Frank museum, causing the pages from Anne's diary to come to life, including her imaginary friend, Kitty (Ruby Stokes). Kitty doesn't understand the world she is in, and goes on the hunt for her best friend, trying to comprehend as she searches in vain, exactly what happened to Anne (Emily Carey), and why.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This fantastical animation is a truly unique and fascinating route into a story many of us already know so well. Where Is Anne Frank tackles the young diarist's story through the eyes of her imaginary friend, Kitty, who magically finds herself in modern day Amsterdam. What this approach, and this perspective allows, is for the viewer to try and understand what happened to Anne Frank through the eyes of someone who had no idea what had occurred. Kitty is oblivious to the horrors and cruelty that swept across Europe during World War II, learning about them for the first time and trying to make sense of them. Through these innocent eyes we see the atrocities of WWII in a simplified form, which makes the devastation seem even more profound and upsetting -- the sheer tragedy that kids were killed for no other reason than their race.

Yet Where Is Anne Frank also strives to highlight the lasting impact that Anne left behind, the sense of humanity she gave to an otherwise inhumane period of history. Tying the Holocaust to the ongoing refugee crisis feels a little heavy-handed, though it's difficult to be too critical of a story that hammers the importance of love over hate. To top it all off, the animation style is striking, adding to a film that will enlighten and capture the imaginations of both kids and adults.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what happened to Anne in Where Is Anne Frank. What did you know about her before you saw this movie? Has it inspired you to learn more about her? What character strengths did she demonstrate?

  • The film discusses some difficult themes. How did the fact that the film was animated impact how you felt about the story? How to talk to kids about violence, crime, and war.

  • The film ties the Holocaust to the ongoing refugee crises. Are you a refugee, or do you know any refugees? What can we do to help those in need?

  • Many of the characters in the 1940s smoked. Do you think attitudes toward smoking have changed? If so, why?

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