David de Jongh's documentary examines the tumultuous and often controversial life of Otto Frank, the German-Jewish businessman and father of Anne Frank. An officer in Germany's World War I military, Frank was forced to take his family to the Netherlands following the Nazi rise to power. Frank survived the Holocaust, only to discover that his wife and children perished in the death camps. The recovery and publication of Anne Frank's diary—followed by stage and cinematic adaptations—introduced the world to an eloquent and poignant voice among the millions of Holocaust victims. But Frank's labors were not without problems: he was accused of severely censoring the diary to soften Anne's criticism of her family, and he faced charges of plagiarism and fraud (both accusations, although easily dismissed, were still painful to endure). Many family members also questioned Frank's seeming indifference to the loss of his other child, Margot, while venerating Anne's legacy, and Frank faced harassing letters from neo-Nazis who taunted him for cashing in on his tragic loss. The documentary provides insightful interviews with friends and family members, along with rarely seen European TV interviews of the multilingual Frank. Ultimately, Frank emerges as a flawed but indefatigable man whose efforts helped post-World War II society acknowledge the horrors of the 20th century's most heinous crime. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall)
Otto Frank, Father of Anne
(2012) 75 min. In Dutch, English & German w/English subtitles. DVD: $199.95. Music Video Distributors (avail. from most distributors). PPR. Volume 27, Issue 5
Otto Frank, Father of Anne
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: