The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank

The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank

Year: 1988

Runtime: 95 mins

Language: English

Director: John Erman

WarDramaHistory

In Nazi‑occupied Amsterdam, Otto Frank decides to hide his Jewish family after his daughter Margot is ordered to a labor camp. His office assistant, Miep Gies, shelters them in the attic above the office, risking their safety. The film traces Gies’ effort to keep the Franks concealed as Nazis hunt them, based on her memoirs and Anne Frank’s diary.

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Timeline & Setting – The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank (1988)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank (1988). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1940s, World War II

Set during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, the story centers on the decision to hide in 1942 and follows the group through the arrests in 1944. It depicts daily routines, quiet rituals, and the constant threat of discovery in a confined space. The period is marked by scarcity, uncertainty, and the gradual unraveling of safety as the war continues.

Location

Amsterdam, The Annexe (The Attic) above Otto Frank's office

The events unfold in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, focusing on a secret attic hideout above Otto Frank's office. The Annexe becomes a fragile refuge where seven people live in close quarters, sharing scarce food and constant risk. The surrounding city is in upheaval, with raids and curfews shaping daily life and fear.

🏙️ Amsterdam 🕯️ Hidden attic 🗺️ War-torn city

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:04

Main Characters – The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank (1988)

Meet the key characters of The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank (1988), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Miep Gies (Mary Steenburgen)

An anchor of compassion, Miep Gies orchestrates aid for the Franks and their companions during the long hiding period. She balances loyalty to Otto Frank with the constant danger of discovery, coordinating food, news, and covert support. Her quiet resolve underscores the film's message that courage can be found in everyday acts of mercy. She bears a moral burden, knowing lives hinge on her choices.

🛡️ Protector 🕊️ Compassionate 🗝️ Loyal

Edith Frank (Eleanor Bron)

The matriarch anchors the family with care and vigilance, balancing warmth with fear in a perilous environment. She embodies resilience, maintaining routines and protective instincts to keep loved ones safe. Her presence highlights the human cost of hiding and the strain on family dynamics. Edith's steady, wary strength underpins the group's morale.

🧭 Maternal 🛡️ Protective 🕰️ Wary

Herman van Daan (Victor Spinetti)

An older, sometimes quarrelsome member of the group, he longs for normalcy and comforts while adapting to hiding. His stubbornness tests relationships, yet his moments of vulnerability reveal the human side of fear. He embodies the tension between self-preservation and solidarity. Through him, the film shows how fear can sharpen both fault lines and loyalties.

🎭 Tension 🧭 Guarded 🛡️ Protective

Otto Frank (Paul Scofield)

The family's practical anchor, Otto Frank coordinates meals, schedules, and safety strategies. He bears the heavy burden of leadership, balancing hope with the dangers that surround them. His calm, steady presence helps hold the group together through fear and fatigue. He embodies resilience and the enduring belief that life can continue despite catastrophe.

🧭 Leader 🕊️ Hope 🛡️ Protector

Jan Gies (Huub Stapel)

Miep's loyal husband and fellow helper, he shares the determination to protect the hiders. He collaborates with colleagues, keeps steady routines, and reduces risk through practical action. His quiet support adds emotional depth to the group. He embodies solidarity and quiet courage in the face of oppression.

🕊️ Loyal 🤝 Partner 🛡️ Support

Anne Frank (Lisa Jacobs)

A bright, curious girl whose observations become the emotional heart of the story. In hiding, she documents hopes, fears, and daily life, offering a window into the human spirit under siege. Her evolving perspective captures the fragility and resilience of youth in wartime. The diary she leaves behind becomes a lasting testament to memory and courage.

📝 Diary 🧒 Youth 💫 Hope

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:04

Major Themes – The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank (1988)

Explore the central themes of The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank (1988), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕯️ Courage

In the cramped attic, ordinary people summon extraordinary bravery to shelter others at great personal risk. Small acts—sharing food, keeping watch, and offering reassurance—sustain hope under threat. The film highlights moral choices that define heroism beyond battles. Courage here is about endurance, discretion, and solidarity in oppression.

🗝️ Secrecy

Secrets govern every moment in hiding, with silence acting as protection and trust tested by fear. Discovery could mean death, so discipline and guarded conversation become essential. The hideout itself becomes a living secret that outlives the people who created it. The narrative shows how secrecy preserves life while exacting a price on relationships.

📜 Memory

Anne Frank's diary embodies memory amid darkness, preserving voices that might otherwise be silenced. Miep safeguards artifacts and the diary, ensuring a lasting record of those who vanished. The story frames memory as a source of moral clarity for future generations. The diary's journey from hiding to publication anchors the film in the power of testimony.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:04

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about enduring legacies like The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank

Stories where individuals are lost, but their words and memory endure.If you were moved by how Anne Frank's diary survived, explore other movies like The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank. These films feature poignant stories of legacy, where personal narratives outlive their creators, offering similar bittersweet historical dramas.

somberreflectivehopefulgrievinghistoricaltragiclegacy

Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread often follow individuals whose lives are cut short by historical forces or personal tragedy. The story's arc is not about their survival, but about the posthumous journey of their voice—be it through diaries, art, or the memories of others—ensuring they are not erased by time or oppression.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared emotional core: a profound sadness for what was lost, coupled with a resilient hope embodied by the survival of a story. They balance the weight of historical tragedy with the light of preserved memory.

Claustrophobic survival thrillers like The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank

Films where characters endure confinement, with terror lurking just outside.For viewers seeking the tense, confined experience of The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank, this list features similar movies about hiding from a grave threat. These films share a high-stakes, anxious vibe and a steady buildup of claustrophobic suspense.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves characters forced into a confined space for their survival, with an oppressive external force hunting them. The plot unfolds through the daily rituals of staying hidden, the close-quarters tensions between characters, and the slow, nerve-wracking accumulation of near-discoveries.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a specific atmospheric blend: a tense, quiet tone; a steady, deliberate pacing that amplifies suspense; and a high-intensity emotional experience rooted in the primal fear of being found. The setting itself becomes a primary character.

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The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank Summary

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The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank Summary

The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank Timeline

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The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank Timeline

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