Anne B. Real

All you want to know about Anne B. Real

Anne B. Real

Anne B. Real
Directed by Lisa France
Produced by Luis Moro,
Written by Antonio Macia
Starring David Zayas
Carlos Leon
Janice Richardson
Music by Hip-Hop, Paula Cole
Running time 91 min.
Language English


Contents

Plot Summery

“Anne B. Real” is a 2003 dramatic coming of age film by Lisa France and Luis Moro, starring David Zayaz, Carlos Leon, Janice Richardson, Jackie Quinones, Eric Smith, Geronimo Frias Jr, Ernie Hudson, and Sherri Saum.

A teenage girl of Afro-Caribbean heritage named Cynthia Gimenez lives in a cramped Manhattan apartment on the edge of Spanish Harlem. Her mother and grandmother speak minimal English. Her older sister is an unwed mother living on welfare. Her older brother is a drug-dealing junkie. In the course of the film, Cynthia faces chaos and betrayal. One of her friends is deliberately murdered, while another of her loved ones is accidentally shot. She runs from the police at one point, and to them at another. But through it all, Cynthia has a secret friend: Anne Frank.


In a flashback scene early in the film, Cynthia’s now-dead father gives his young daughter a dog-eared copy of The Diary Of Anne Frank and for the rest of the film Anne’s words, read verbatim by Cynthia, provide both her solace and her inspiration. Cynthia buys herself a plaid notebook that looks very much like Anne’s original, and she retreats to her corner, like Anne did, to record her private thoughts. “All children must look after their own upbringing,” she reads, and from these words she understands that she can either blame her surroundings and give up, or take responsibility for her own future.

in a scene with Janice Richardson & Eric Hudson in Anne B. Real

She finds out that her brother is selling her poems to a rapper named ‘Deuce’ who has been performing them and recording them and claiming them as his own. But with Anne’s voice in her head, Cynthia finds her courage, and by the end of the film she has transformed herself into an artist named “Anne B. Real.”

Behind the scenes

Sensitive to the raw language which pervades hip-hop culture, Director France, and producer Luis Moro insisted that all her actors respect her intention to make a PG-rated film before they signed on. In an exclusive interview, Ms. France told the WORLD JEWISH DIGEST she had two reasons for this requirement. First she wanted the film to be suitable for everyone, including Anne’s legions of young readers: “Urban family entertainment is rare. We wanted to make a film that an 8-year old and a 90-year old could watch together and we would not feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.”

The second motivation was her respect for Anne Frank’s legacy. When Antonio Macia, who plays one of Cynthia’s teachers in the film, wrote the original screenplay, he paraphrased Anne’s words. Once the film was a go, however, producer Luis Moro contacted the Anne Frank Foundation in Switzerland and received permission to quote extensively from the actual text. According to Ms. France, Buddy Elias, one of Anne’s last surviving relatives and the President of the Foundation, was extremely supportive. [1]

Music was performed by Janice (J Nice) Richardson, who is an R& B singer, and learned how to rap for the film. The end credits has a music video by: Grammy award winner, Paula Cole's music video "Be Somebody".

Awards & Recognition

in a scene with Janice Richardson as ‘Cynthia’ in Anne B. Real

In the Film, Anne B Real, brings to light a story of a female Black Latin hip-hop artist inspired by the diaries of Anne Frank, Luis Moro got permission from Buddy Elias, Anne Frank’s last living relative, and first cousin who is the Director of The Anne Frank Center in New York. [2] In Buddy's correspondence with Luis, he said, "I didn't know your film is made by African Americans. This thrills me, that alone is wonderful!!" -Buddy Elias Elias' support in his letter to filmmaker Moro said, "Congratulations to the awards!!!! Wonderful but it does not come as a surprise. The film is great. I had one exchange of letters with Steven Spielberg. You can write to him and let him know that I am supporting you and love the film. My wife and I are moved especially how Anne's and Otto's words are integrated in this film. With so much sensitivity. Thank you." -Buddy Elias. Ground breaking in that never before the Black community integrated the a Jewish history of Anne Frank and her diary (The Diary of Anne Frank) [3]


NY: Janice Richardson as ‘Cynthia’ in Anne B. Real reading the Diaries of Anne Frank

Awards

Years Film Event Awards Category Result
2004 Independent Spirit Award John Cassavetes Award Lisa France, Luis Moro Nominated
2004 Independent Spirit Award Best Debut Performance Janice (J-Nice) Richardson Nominated
2004 Dubrovnik International Film Festival Black Reel Award Best Independent Film Won
2003 American Film Festival Award Best Performance by an Actress Janice (J-Nice) Richardson Won
2003 Santa Monica Film Festival Best Dramatic Feature Anne B. Real Won
2003 Taos Land Grant Award Tollbooth Nominated
Anne B. Real film poster

References

  1. ^ Films42 Anne Frank and Anne B. Real Films42 Anne Frank and Anne B. Real
  2. ^ Buddy Elias Anne Frank’s Last Living Relative, First Cousin Buddy Elias, Gives Insight Into Anne’s Life and Her Famous Diary
  3. ^ Films42, ANNE B. REAL: A CINEMATIC HIP-HOP TRIBUTE TO ANNE FRANK by Lisa Huttner

External links

This 2000s drama film-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_B._Real"

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