WAITING FOR ANYA

UK, 2020, 104 minutes, Colour.

Noah Schnapp, Thomas Kretschmann, Frederick Schmidt, Tomas Lemarquis, Gilles Marini, Elsa Zylberstein, Angelica Huston, Jean Reno, Sadie Frost, Declan Cole.

Directed by Ben Cookson.

Anya is a young Jewish girl, seen with her father at a Paris railway station, the invading German supervising, the rounding up of the Jews and putting them in the rail transports for the concentration camps. Her father pushes Anya under the train carriage, is able to get a sympathetic passenger to take her into a local train to safety. Her father lives in hope that he will see her again.

Over the 70 years since these events took place, there have been many films about France, the German occupation, the Vichy government, the rounding up of the Jews and their being transported to the camps. Here is another similar story, a reminder that these events should not be forgotten.

Many of the film is about France during World War II are grim, stark and violent, stories of harsh treatment of the Jews, oppression in occupation, the Resistance, the many French people in towns and villages who sheltered the Jews or who organised their crossing from France into Switzerland over the Alps or crossing from France into Spain over the Pyrenees. This is a Pyrenees story.

This film is, we might say, more PG-rated. It is geared towards a younger audience, a film for teenagers, for instance, to learn about these events. It is also a film that many audiences who say they do not want to see too much violence on the screen, can watch, discomfited and saddened with the story and the characters, but not upset by visual violence.

After the prologue in Paris, all the action takes place in the Pyrenees village, village characters, a focus on a young boy, Jo, who looks after the sheep as well as going to school, at home with his mother because his father is in a prisoner of war camp, and the patriarchal grandfather. There is an episode where Jo encounters a huge, menacing bear and alerts the townspeople who kill it. But Benjamin, a stranger who is in hiding with the local widow, caring for children and getting them across the Pyrenees, befriends Jo who then works for some years as the delivery boy for the widow, bringing food and necessities from the village for the children (who eventually have to hide in the cave).

The Germans arrive, occupy the town as we have seen in so many films. The officer in charge rather younger, looks sinister, bald, glasses – and, initially, executing three hostages (offscreen). However, there is The Corporal, an older officer, more benign, who befriends Jo and his friend, Hubert, who is mentally impaired. The Corporal takes them to the mountains to watch the Eagles.

The high drama of the film is the plan to get the children across the border, the device of having the spring celebration of the sheep, herding the sheep to the mountaintop, the children going with them. And everyone at a concert, the Germans included, so the children can come down from the cave to be ready to go with the sheep. This has the participation of the local parish priest, a genial presence and helper.

Ultimately, the Germans have to leave, there are some moments of tragedy but peace comes again to the Pyrenees.

The film has a strong cast including Jean Reno is the grandfather, Angelica Huston is the widow, Noah Schnap (Stranger Things) is Jo and Thomas Kretschmann is The Corporal. The director is Swiss, Ben Cookson.

Audiences who want strong dramas of occupied France may find this too mild. But, Waiting for Anya can be a film which introduces younger audiences to these historical events, war, occupation, persecution of the Jews, suffering.

1. A World War II film? The rounding up of the Jews? Life in the Pyrenees, taking the children across the mountains to Spain?
2. Audience response to these World War II stories? This film geared for a broader audience, not giving so much graphic detail of persecution and violence, presenting some more humane characters despite the occupation, the focus on children, the dangers in crossing the Pyrenees, the commitment of local people to help the Jewish children? The film to dramatise these events for younger audiences, for those whose sensitivities dislike depictions of violence?
3. The prologue, France, the German invasion, the rounding up of the Jews, the trains, the crowds, the father and daughter, hiding under the train, the father getting his daughter into the local train? The title – and the many years passing, waiting for Anya to arrive in the Pyrenees?
4. The transition to the south of France, rural life, the characters in the town, the shepherds, the mountains, peaceful rural settings?
5. The family, the grandfather and his experience in World War I, patriarchal, his son a prisoner of war, his wife at home, Jo, his age, work, out with the sheep? Hubert, age, mental impairment, sense of fun, involvement? The ordinary routines of life in the town?
6. The arrival of the Germans, taking over the town? Weissman, in charge, his appearance, age, bald head, sinister look? The other soldiers? The presence of the Corporal, his age, experience, more benign? The harsher aspects of their presence, assembling the people in the square, the three hostages to be executed? The less harsh aspects, mingling with the people, especially The Corporal? The link of the Resistance and blowing up the Leah layer, Benjamin and his love for Leah?
7. The danger, the threat to the Germans, the response by collecting the food and taking it away?
8. Life at home, time passing, Jo and his work for the widow, his grandfather getting together with the widow, Jo’s mother, maintaining the house, the return of her husband from the war, going to the bar, his drinking, anti-German, attacking Jo for being friendly with The Corporal?
9. Jo, Hubert and The Corporal going to the mountains, seeing the Eagle?
10. The decision to take the children over the mountain, getting the help of the priest, the priest and his genial role in the town, down-to-earth? The explanation of the spring celebration, taking the sheep to the mountains, everybody participating, and the cover of the concert in the church? The choir, the schoolmistress, Jo at school, the buildup to the concert? The invitation to all the Germans to come, the delay, their arriving late? The concert and their enjoying it? Jo anxious?
11. The children transferred from the cave, down to the town, the preparation to go to the mountains, the taking of the sheep, the procession up the mountain, the crowds and the children? Hiding the children in the hut at the top of the mountain? Leah, upset, Benjamin having to take her back to the house?
12. The Corporal, the Germans, going to the top of the mountain, the Corporal knowing what was happening, the discussion with Jo and his father, commenting on the window case flapping? The achievement of getting the children across? Benjamin and his being taken? Waiting for Anya?
13. The end of the war, the Germans and their leaving? Hubert, the rifle, following the Germans – and his being shot?
14. A year later, life resuming normal? Anya’s arrival?