Recently there have been some people who have had the opportunity to share their views about the Holocaust. They say it never happened. Of course this isn’t a new subject. I’ve been hearing for years about how the entire history of the 6 millions Jews who were murdered during Adolf Hitler’s reign is nothing more than a fabrication. Propaganda they call it. I guess there’s just no accounting for stupidity. These guys are idiots, and thank God most people don’t pay them the slightest bit of attention. Let’s just hope they don’t reproduce. I’ve spent too many years reading up on and watching documentary features about the Holocaust, and though I obviously wasn’t there, the amount of evidence that proves it happened is too great. Thanks to modern cinema, the two people that stand out the most in the minds of the average person have to be Oskar Schindler and Anne Frank. The former for his part in the saving of hundreds of Jews, the latter for her famous diary where she writes of her experiences leading up to her death.

There have been many different representations of her words, including a stage play and movie, but nothing could capture the power of her story more than the words themselves. Director Jon Blair, who also produced a documentary about Schindler, made an attempt to bring Anne’s words to life in the documentary “Anne Frank Remembered.” Blair painstakingly pulled together a ton of archival materials, including what is believed to be the only existing film footage of Anne, to create this emotionally charged film. Leaving no stone unturned, Blair also interviewed some of the Holocaust survivors who were there. He talks to Peter Pepper, who hid with the Franks, as well as Hanneli Goslar, who became one of Anne’s few friends at the camp. He also interviews Miep Gies, who worked for Anne’s father and risked her life not only to help the Frank family, but was instrumental in preserving the diary. She gives an unforgettable interview.

“Anne Frank Remembered” is full of poignant moments, and though it runs almost 2 hours, never feels like its too long. The documentary feature is so good in fact, that it won a much deserved Academy Award in 1995. Unfortunately, a documentary winning an Oscar doesn’t always mean that it will be seen. I’m sure the subsequent VHS release made the rounds, but hopefully now that Sony / Columbia Tristar is putting it out on DVD, the audience will grow even larger. This is documentary that deserves to be seen by as many people as can get their hands on it. In part because it is a tribute to those, like Anne, who did not survive this horrible time in history, but more so in order for us not to forget.

Narrated by Kenneth Brannagh, with portions of Anne’s diary read by Glenn Close, “Anne Frank Remembered” is a heartbreaking piece of work from which we can learn a lot. As a matter of fact, I’d like to get some of the idiots I mentioned before and set them down in front of it and challenge them to tell me it didn’t happen.

Directed by: Jon Blair
Narrated by: Kenneth Brannagh, Glenn Close
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: Sony / Columbia Tristar
Release Date: 3/9/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
Website

We'll give Anne Frank Remembered an A.