March 30, 2020
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The Anne Frank House and Every Media are launching Anne Frank video diary, a new way to introduce young people around the world to Anne Frank’s life story. The video diary consists of fifteen episodes. Today at 16:00 hours CET, the video diary is launched on youtube.com/annefrank.
In search of a new way to tell young people about Anne Frank’s life story, Every Media and the Anne Frank House developed Anne Frank video diary: an online video series airing on YouTube and based on the diary of Anne Frank. In 13-year-old Luna Cruz Perez, they found a girl who gives an enchanting interpretation of Anne Frank and who translates Anne's diary letters into diary videos in her own words.
Anne films herself
Anne Frank video diary follows Anne Frank from 29 March 1944 onwards. She is 14 years old and has been living in hiding for over a year and a half, together with her parents Otto and Edith, sister Margot, Auguste and Hermann van Pels, their son Peter, and Fritz Pfeffer. Anne films herself and the events in the Secret Annex, looks back on the time before they went into hiding, talks about the war, and shares her deepest thoughts and feelings. The video diary ends on 4 August 1944, when Anne and the seven other people from the Secret Annex, as well as two of their non-Jewish helpers, are arrested.
Personal and poignant
Ronald Leopold, executive director of the Anne Frank House: ‘Anne Frank video diary is one-on-one, personal and poignant. Unlike films about Anne Frank, in which Anne is often played by older actresses and which take an outside perspective, young Luna uses her camera to invite the viewers to connect with Anne, the girl, in a direct way. I hope that many young people will be moved by the video diary and that they will learn about Anne Frank's life story and start thinking about antisemitism and discrimination today. I also hope that the video diary will encourage young people to read Anne's diary, her beautifully written diary letters, for themselves.'
Modern times
Jacqueline van Maarsen, Anne Frank’s now 91-year-old friend: ‘I’m excited about this video diary. By replacing the diary with a camera, young people can easily imagine themselves in that situation back then, when Anne Frank lived. The idea took some getting used to, but I think it’s good that Anne Frank’s story has been transferred to modern times.’
Five languages
Anne Frank video diary consists of fifteen episodes and can be seen in over 60 countries on youtube.com/annefrank. As of today, one or two new episodes will air every Monday and Thursday at 16:00 hours CET, the last one on 4 May. The video series is in Dutch, with subtitles in German, English, Portuguese, and Spanish. As explained in the video 'From Diary to Camera', all characters, locations, and events in the series are based on a number of diary letters that Anne Frank wrote between March and August 1944.
Education
The fifteen episodes of the video diary are accompanied by seven educational videos that emphasise the fact that the video diary is based on a true story, and that deal with themes such as discrimination, scapegoating, making choices, and freedom. The educational videos are also available in five different languages. Teachers can use the Anne Frank video diary in the classroom and combine it with the educational videos and other lesson materials.
