During the second World War, a 12 year old girl, Fanny, leads a group of Jewish children out of France to cross the border into Switzerland.
Blaine: Lola Doillon had wanted to make an adventure film involving children, and her producer friend had the perfect story in mind. She read this novel based on author Fanny Ben-Ami’s story on how she led a group a Jewish kids out of France during the second World War, so they could get away from the Nazis.
Nazi Germany was taking over France during the war and a law was made by Philippe Petain and Pierre Laval to round up Jews. French officers were handing over Jewish people to the Nazis. Not everyone agreed with this law, even if their country was invaded by the enemy. There were a lot of people who were brave enough to brake that law because they were listening to that voice inside telling them to do the right thing. They were stronger than most people, like the officers, because they didn’t give in. They had their own free will and they weren’t under the Nazis spell. They were protecting their country more than those officers.
There was a place where a lot of Jewish parents had their children kept in. It would mean they had to be separated from their children, but they were happy their kids were safe and that’s what mattered the most. They kept in contact with each other through letters. That house was a sanctuary for Jewish kids. Those kids didn’t have to go through the horrible things other children of the Jewish faith had to go through. They didn’t have to suffer, or starve, or witness anything that could haunt them for the rest of their lives. These kids were at peace and their childhoods remained alive. They didn’t even have to worry about running or hiding, although running is something they are about to do. Sadly, nothing lasts forever. The Nazis are heading their way, which means it’s no longer a safe place. The people who ran the house were arrested by the Nazis.
The kids get transferred to another house, but they aren’t going to stay that long. The only way they’ll be safe is by crossing the border to Switzerland. Madame Forman, the owner of the second house the kids stay at, doesn’t look like she wants to be responsible for looking after children, but she does want to help them and make sure they live a better life. Forman makes sure that the kids are well prepared in never revealing their true identity, their religion and where they are going. The kids have to also watch who they trust. Nazis and French officers are after Jews.
The kids have to get to Switzerland on their own, without an adult escorting them. Fanny is in charge of leading the group and she’s unsure about that because it’s a huge responsibility, especially for someone at her age. Forman was going to put Ellie, the oldest one of the group, in charge, but once he saw the officers and Nazis, he panicked and made a run for it. Forman puts Fanny in charge because she sees something in her that Fanny doesn’t see in herself and that is being a leader. Ellie talks to Fanny through a prison window. Ellie is not strong enough, but he needs Fanny to be strong. Everyone is counting on her.
Fanny may feel she is not up for this job, but she does take it seriously, and she would make sure that not one Nazi would get his hands on one child. Fanny makes sure the look of fear doesn’t show on her face. You can tell she is concerned because again she is responsible for these kids and she takes this job very seriously. The kids are very aware of what they need to do, like make sure their identities and their destination remain hidden from strangers. The children have to act natural and work independently. They can’t speak to anyone else because you don’t know who to trust, but help was there for them.
The youngest kids in the group can manage to keep a secret, which is amazing because usually kids don’t know how to keep secrets. They also know that Nazis are bad. They think of Nazis as monsters, but of course a lot of people think that, including me. So they know that they have to play things safe if they don’t want the monsters to get them. The youngests don’t know what their religion is yet, so if someone asks if they are Jewish they can say no.
Directing kids isn’t easy because they can have a hard time understanding what they are supposed to do, but Lola Doillion knew the best way to direct children was to act out the scene for them so they could get a visual look at what they were supposed to do. It helped them a lot.
The kids do get caught by the authorities and they make sure not to tell them anything about who they are and what the plan is. If they tell the truth then that means they get handed over to the Nazis and end up in a concentration camp.
The kids are making themselves convincing that they aren’t Jewish, but the officers don’t believe them. All of them know better than to talk to strangers, even the authorities because these guys have sold themselves out and are letting the Nazis take control of them. So the police lock the kids in a room for a day and a half with no food.
One of the officers threatens to shoot one of the kids, but the kid is not scared. He’s testing the officers to see if he has what it takes to shoot a helpless kid. If the officer pulls that trigger then he’ll be showing he’s as monstrous as a Nazi. The officers are already showing they are bad people by locking children in a room with no food. The kid has enough man power to scare an officer.
Nurses have big hearts, where as officers are not thinking clearly. The nurses treat the kids to a meal so they won’t have to starve. When no one is around the kids escape. Now that they have food in their bellies they should have the strength to continue their journey. Although, one of them, Diane, stays behind because she feels she can’t run anymore. So they’ve lost another member of the team, which is disappointing.
Makes you hope that they don’t lose anyone else. Both my dad and I were concerned about these kids as they journeyed through areas that could be of danger to them. All these kids have is each other and they must stick together. The kids journeyed through nature areas and managed to find a river of fresh water to keep them hydrated. They would also make running from the law a game. Kids shouldn’t take things too seriously, they’re still young and their childhoods remain alive.
The kids find an abandoned house and Fanny thinks they should stay there until the war is over, which is not a good idea. They don’t know that it’s going to take another three years for the war to end. Plus Nazis and officers are scouting the entire country and they’ll find their way to that house just like they did with the nice house they used to live in. Another thing is that place doesn’t look suitable to stay in because it’s falling apart. What would the children do for food. They can mange to get water because it’s not that far from the house.
A few of the kids get sick and Fanny must find help. She’s taking a lot of risks in trusting a stranger, but this is a matter of life and death, but then again so is running away from Nazis. Lucky thing for Fanny, this man, who is a farmer, has heart. They want to stay with him, but they can’t because Nazis and French officers will show up wherever they go and the only safe option is crossing the border. Fanny looks at the children’s faces and knows she can not let them down.
Diane was separated from the group, and Fanny made sure that everyone else stuck together. Then a miracle happened. The nurses let Diane escape, the farmer found her and she was reunited with the group. It’s good to know that no one gets left behind.
The kids continue their journey and Nazis aren’t that far, but the border is not that far either. I was still feeling concerned hoping those kids would make it, but then I heard the beautiful sound of hope in the background and you knew they were going to survive. They run as fast as they can and make it to their destination.
Spoiler alert: There’s just one problem. One of the kids fell down on the French side the border. She doesn’t have the strength to run, so Fanny goes after her because no one gets left behind. Nazis show up, making Fanny an open target. Fanny is always taking risks. She is risking her own life for another.
I was worried what was going to happen, but then I remembered that this is based on a true story, so I knew they were going to make it. How else would this story have been told. It’s based on a novel written by Fanny herself. So you know she lived on to share this story through a novel. So the ending remains a happy one.
The kids would think about their parents a lot, hoping to be reunited with them after the war was over, but that never happened. The parents were not so lucky. A lot of Jewish people's lives were lost in those days because Nazis were trying to wipe them out from the face of the Earth. Even though these kids didn’t have to go through pain and suffering, still there is the feeling of loss.
The kids managed to make it though and found a new sanctuary that would last remainder of the war. The kids lost their parents, but one thing that was never lost was hope.
My rating on “Fanny’s Journey” is five out of five stars
