Memory is the most precious human legacy.
#Anne Frank: Parallel Stories (Anna Migotto & Sabrina Fedeli, 2019) is a must-watch documentary that touches on a painful wound in the history of humanity, the Holocaust. It does not matter if it occurred approximately 80 years ago as undoubtedly it has left eternal physical, emotional, and psychological marks on its victims and a heavy weight on the guilty. The title of the documentary is self-explanatory, it is not didactical like many others on this topic. Instead, it unifies the reports of Arianna, Helga, Sarah, Tatiana, and Andra, whilst intertwining extracts from “The Diary of a Young Girl” (Anne Frank, 1947) in the voice of British actress Helen Mirren. In its title, there is a hashtag, which links with another parallel story from a teenager of contemporary times, who has recently learned about Anne Frank and wanted to follow her steps. Many reviews mentioned the hashtag’s irrelevance to the documentary however it arguably was of significant importance in its representation of the current generation, who can identify with it.
Undoubtedly, one of the documentary’s main objectives is to heighten the empathy of the audience with the narratives. It creates a connection between the audience, places, and the characters involved. In this way, the documentary is unifying the older generations from the time of Anne Frank to the most recent generation Z teenagers. Furthermore, it unites different countries (France, Netherlands, Czech Republique, and Germany) that share a common past.
The integration of different backgrounds indicates another important aspect of the documentary and is still relevant nowadays- the importance of memory. The documentary mentions the importance of memory and especially emphasises the value of the act of sharing memories when there are people that still deny the existence of the absurd and grotesque past. Brazilian historian Emília Yotti da Costa puts it simply, stating that “A people without memory is a people without history, they are bound to commit, in the present and the future, the same mistakes of the past”. This is why we should also reflect on extremist movements and totalitarianism; similarly, we should be attentive to and completely intolerant of hatred of any kind. It is vital to think about the importance of historical dates, heritage, and culture, to respect memorials and historic monuments such as the Colosseum, Notre Dame, the Sistine Chapel, and the Louvre. Even understanding the meaning behind the laws of such historical places that regulate the permanence of the architecture and respecting such laws is a way to value their heritage.
Overall, I implore you to watch this documentary (which is available on Netflix) and to reflect on what I have mentioned above. Also, I invite other countries to pay their respects on Remembrance Day. On this day, people use poppies to commemorate the war veterans and the deceased. The poppy is by no means a random choice, but an important commemorative symbol. Its symbolism stems from the poem “In Flanders Fields”, written by the Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel and poet John McCrae who served during the First World War. McCrae painted a vivid image when he referred to the poppies that grew over the graves of fallen soldiers and so the tradition to wear a poppy around Remembrance Day continues on. It shows as well that history still breathes and always will do, especially when the most precious human legacy, memory, is still alive.
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