Product Review

The new Diary of Anne Frank production aired on PBS Masterpiece Theater on April 11, 2010 and is the first true and authentic account of life in hiding under Nazi terror during World War II from the unique perspective of a teenage Jewish girl.

The Diary of Anne Frank is a modern, timeless classic of literature and a extraordinary social document that has endured the world over. The story is both an important piece of recent history and universal family tale that is understood worldwide. Full of tension but at times funny and ultimately tragic, Anne Frank's diary manages to create a truthful and timeless picture of domestic life in all its pettiness and normality while never letting us forget the extraordinary threat of death that await the characters if discovered.

The BBC worked directly with the Anne Frank-Fonds estate to ensure complete authenticity for the film. Dramatizations of her diary are far and few between as the Anne Frank Fonds (estate) tends not to grant the rights to adapt her memoirs, so this drama series is a very rare event. The detailed reconstructions of the house, together with the strong award winning performances from the cast, combine to create a landmark piece of drama.