Nov. 19, 2020
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The Anne Frank video diary, which was launched by the Anne Frank House and Every Media this spring, has won two Lovie Awards: a silver jury prize and the audience prize in the category Video: Entertainment and Sport. The jury announced this today.
The video diary is a new way of introducing young people around the world to Anne Frank’s life story. Luna Cruz Perez plays Anne Frank and shares her life in the Secret Annex, her thoughts and her feelings with the camera. ‘Together we can keep Anne’s story alive’, said lead actress Luna during the virtual awards ceremony.
YouTube
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
The 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.
‘The Anne Frank video diary is personal and moving, and has drawn over 6.5 million viewers worldwide since the launch. We’ve had many positive reactions, especially from young people who make a personal connection with Anne through the video diary. Winning the Lovie Awards confirms how well the video diary was made. We’re delighted with this, and so is our partner Every Media.’
Nine languages
The Anne Frank video diary consists of fifteen episodes, and can be seen in over 60 countries on youtube.com/annefrank. The video series is in Dutch, with subtitles in German, English, French, Hebrew, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian 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.
‘We never expected when we presented this innovative idea to the Anne Frank House that it would generate such interest. Director Hanna van Niekerk and writers Natascha van Weezel and Wies Fest played a key role in this.’
Rose d’Or Awards
The Anne Frank video diary has also been nominated for the Rose d’Or Awards in the category Social Media and Video Series. The shortlist was compiled by more than 80 international jury members from the television industry, and includes entries from all over the world. The winners will be announced on 9 December.
