Where Is Anne Frank (2021) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

A 14-year-old girl who emerges from Anne Frank’s diary as her imaginary friend. She discovers she is invisible and intangible to the living while inside the Anne Frank House, and must navigate both memory and modern life. Kitty’s experiences ignite a drive to help refugees and to confront authority, culminating in a bold act of public visibility. She dissolves into ink at the end, choosing agency over invisibility.

• 🧭 Imagination
• 🗣️ Voice
• 🕊️ Courage

A boy who turns out to be a pickpocket who befriends Kitty. He acts as her guide through present-day Amsterdam and helps her understand how her powers operate. Peter is a catalyst for Kitty’s journey, getting involved with the police and the diary’s history while navigating danger and loyalty.

• 🗺️ Guide
• 🧭 Alliance

The diarist whose writings Kitty revisits through time. Kitty’s memories of Anne’s words drive much of the narrative and provide a lens on hope, fear, and resilience during the Nazi occupation. Anne’s legacy exists as both memory and influence on Kitty’s actions.

• 🕯️ Diary
• 🗒️ History

Anne and Margot’s father, whose memoirs and letters are encountered by Kitty. Otto’s voice embodies the duty of bearing witness and preserving his family’s story for future generations. His perspective anchors the diary’s historical context within the film.

• 🪶 Legacy
• 🗒️ History

Anne’s elder sister whose memory and presence shadow Kitty’s journey. The cenotaph scene and the diary’s events connect Margot to Kitty’s mission to honor their family by protecting those who seek shelter. Margot’s memory acts as a moral touchstone.

• 🕯️ Memory
• 🏛️ History

The mother of the Franks, whose life in hiding informs Kitty’s understanding of family, sacrifice, and endurance. Edith’s memories remind Kitty of the human cost of war and the importance of safeguarding vulnerable people.

• 👪 Family
• 🕊️ Compassion

Part of the Van Daan family whose presence in the diary era is recalled by Kitty. His story contributes to the broader history Kitty confronts on her journey through memory and the fight for shelter.

• 🪙 History
• 🧭 Family

Auguste’s stash of watches and the Van Daan family’s presence in the diary era provide a sense of personal detail that Kitty contends with as she learns the scope of the Frank family’s fate. Her character helps illustrate the realities of wartime hardship.

• 💎 Relics
• 🕊️ Hope

A young refugee girl Kitty meets at a police station; Awa embodies the lives of people displaced by war. She guides Kitty to the shelter and shows how families plan to escape and survive, highlighting humanitarian concerns.

• 🟡 Refugee
• 🕊️ Hope

A police officer who becomes involved as Kitty navigates accusations and the diary’s significance. His actions reflect the tension between authority and compassion in the search for truth.

• 👮 Authority
• 🗺️ Law

A second police officer who supervises the inquiry into Kitty’s activities and the diary. She represents the procedural side of the conflict, balancing suspicion with the unfolding human story.

• 👮 Investigation
• 🕯️ Memory

The diary survives as a living memory that guides Kitty and anchors the narrative. Kitty’s emergence from ink mirrors how Anne Frank’s words continue to speak across generations. The film shows how personal memory can motivate collective action, particularly for refugees. Storytelling becomes a catalyst for empathy and advocacy.

Kitty’s journey from invisibility to visibility mirrors real-world struggles of displaced people seeking shelter. The story confronts authorities, public opinion, and moral responsibility as Amsterdam grapples with refugee needs. The hot-air balloon plan and sheltering efforts symbolize solidarity and the fight for basic safety.

Kitty’s intangible existence challenges what it means to be real and to have a voice. The boundary between fiction and history blurs as she interacts with Anne’s memories and the living world. Imagination becomes a tool for empathy, memory preservation, and action.