The Italian film Anita B., based on the autobiographic novel Quanta stella c'è nel cielo by Edith Bruck, tells the moving and often poignant story of a young Holocaust survivor, Anita, sent to live with her aunt Monika and uncle Aron in Czechoslovakia after the end of World War II. Even as a young adolescent, Anita survived Auschwitz, forced to watch her parents perish in the gas chambers. Although the movie does not explicitly recall the terrors Anita endured, we are given glimpses of her life in the concentration camp: at the beginning of the film, she is extraordinarily thin, has a partially shaved head, and is still branded with the tattoo she got in Auschwitz. Anita is determined not to forget her traumatic past, but she is surrounded by people who would rather move on. Her aunt Monika treats her unkindly, as a begrudging reminder of a life she would rather forget. Her uncle's brother Eli, who she begins a romantic affair with, scoffs at her need to talk about the past and tells her "it's over, forget it." The only person Anita can confide in is her young cousin Roby, who is too little to understand.The movie takes a dramatic turn when Anita realizes she is pregnant with Eli's baby. Anita insists that she wants to keep the child, but Eli is angry with her, blaming her for the pregnancy and demands she gets an abortion. At the abortion clinic, the doctor gently asks her if she loves Eli, and after thinking on it, Anita tells him she doesn't. He asks her if she would like to keep the baby, and she tells him she does. Upon waking up from the sleeping gas, Anita realizes the doctor did not perform the abortion after all. Instead, he gives her the money Eli gave to him, and tells her to use it to escape. Anita is able to join up with other Jewish refugees, and at the end of the film we see her in a caravan "traveling light" to Jerusalem; she rejoices that "her only baggage is the future."Although many films have been made recalling life in the concentration camps, fewer recount the difficulties and trauma for survivors that must return to "normal life" afterwards. Anita B. expertly conveys the struggle of a young girl who feels lost in a world she can no longer be a part of. The others in her life— her family and love interest— would rather her forget and move on, but when she attempts to do so, she realizes that she will never be happy living a life she has not chosen for herself. The movie could have ended very differently— although Eli was certainly flawed as a character, we still see that he cared for Anita. If she had been more complacent, she could have adopted a life like her Aunt Monika's: settling down, marrying Eli, and eventually having a family, all the while ignoring her past. Instead, Anita decides it would be betrayal to forget the past. She confronts it directly in escaping Eli with her unborn child, and begins the journey of creating a life for herself that she knows will make her happy. Anita B. is not merely a story about surviving, but also about thriving. We can learn a great deal from Anita's fierce dedication to pursuing freedom at all costs, both during and after World War II.

Anita B. tells the story of a young Holocaust survivor who goes to live with her aunt and uncle in the Czech Republic following the war. When she first arrives, Anita is prohibited from leaving the house until her immigration papers are finished. She cares for and comes to love her little cousin Roby, and she shares a bedroom with her uncle's brother Eli, who treats her less than kindly by attempting to coerce her into a sexual relationship. Prior to the arrival of her papers, Anita gains her family's approval to attend a party, where the police discover her and throw her in jail. Eventually, Anita is allowed to leave the jail and return to her aunt's house. When she hears Eli's own survival story from the war, Anita develops feelings for him, and soon she allows him to sleep with her, but only after he promises that he loves her. From this occurrence, Anita becomes pregnant. Eli refuses to allow her to carry the child, and he takes her to Prague to force her to have an abortion against her will. The doctor in Prague is kind and understanding, and gives Eli's money to Anita to help her escape. She goes to the Jewish Refugee Center, where she leaves for Palestine in the hopes of being reunited with her best friend David.The film artistically created a complex emotional story which demonstrated the various ways humans react to tragedy. Anita longed for someone to talk to about her struggles, finding it impossible to forget them and move on. Her aunt Monika demonstrated the guilt of survival when her entire family had died, resenting Anita for being another survivor and for talking to Roby about the events in Auschwitz. As Anita points out, Eli became such an unreliable romantic partner due to his experiences in the Holocaust. He fights against his emotional feelings for Anita, while simultaneously being overbearing and controlling her. Eli's difficult past made it hard to consider him the true villain of the story, even though his actions often harmed Anita. The movie balanced the difficulties in overcoming such a tragedy with the underlying hope of better days following the tragedy's end. Although we see Anita vulnerable and devastated by loss, we also believe that she can live the rest of her life at peace after the end of the film. The cinematography uses sepia tones to convey the setting of the film in the past. The scenery and the architecture displayed paint a lovely picture of the Czech Republic and the city of Prague. We are transported to a vivid Jewish culture, with upbeat, lively dances and pride which remains strong even after persecution. Overall, the film is an excellent celebration of Jewish culture that artfully combines the pain of World War II with the pride and strength of survival. It celebrates the traditions of Judaism and the hope of many more years of the religion's regrowth and prosperity.

The film, Anita B., directed by Roberto Faenza and based on Edith Bruck's novel, Quanta Stella Cè' Nel Cielo, shares the story of Anita, a young Hungarian Jewish girl who survived Auschwitz. The film follows Anita as she experiences a different type of isolation and confinement in the home of her Aunt Monika, in the Czechoslovakian town of Zvikovez. While Monika, Monika's husband, and her husband's younger brother, Eli, all strive to erase all memories of the past few years from their minds, Anita resolves to never forget anything, particularly memories of her parents, who were killed in front of her at Auschwitz. Anita is also restricted to Monika's apartment for months because she lacks the proper documentation to live in Czechoslovakia. Despite this confinement, Anita proves herself to be both creative and true explorer through the scenes she paints on her baby nephew's walls, journeying, and in the few times that she ventures out of the house. Indeed, Anita spends much time telling stories form her life to her small nephew. However, Anita's sense of self is challenged by her romantic relationship with Eli. Their relationship climaxes when Anita discovers that she is pregnant. Despite Anita's wishes, Eli forces her to go to Prague to have an abortion. However, the doctor in Prague realizes that Anita wants to keep her baby and does not perform the operation and instead gives her his doctor's fee. The doctor's protection and support of her choices seems to ignite Anita's confidence and motivation: she runs away from Eli and searches out a friend in Prague who acts as a 'ferrywoman' for refugees who wish to travel to Palestine. The film ends as Anita travels to Palestine, describing her passage as "a journey to the past with only one piece of baggage: the future".Anita B. is one of the few films that examines the aftermath of the Holocaust, relative to the numerous films that take place during the Holocaust. While watching the threads of the story weave together, one finds oneself entranced by the smallest gestures, micro-expressions, and awkward conversations of the characters. These exceptionally human interactions bring a humble truth to the film. The breathtaking cinematography, thoughtful performance by the actors and actresses, and articulate screenplay pull the viewer into the heart of the story and force the viewer to perform a certain level of introspection. Indeed, the poetic last line of the film not only serves as the realization of Anita's independence and courage as a human being and also as a woman but also speaks to the responsibility the viewer of the film, as a participant of the story. More specifically, the viewer's responsibility as a witness of history; to remember, that as we move into the future, we must not allow the violations of human rights, loss of human life, and oppression of the holocaust to repeat again.

Set in post-World War II Europe, Roberto Faenza's compelling film follows the path of Anita: a fifteen-year-old Hungarian orphan and Holocaust survivor sent to live in Czechoslovakia with her only living relative, Aunt Monika. Anita falls from the grasps of Auschwitz into the threshold of a different kind of imprisonment, as she is unable to leave her new home until her papers arrive. Stuck within the confines of her aunt's house, Anita's only serious companions are Robby, Monika's baby son, and Eli, the handsome and devilish younger brother of Monika's husband. As she falls into the rhythms of the home and a budding romance with Eli, her new life appears to be set until she encounters and befriends David—a young and sincere Jewish man with dreams of a new life in Jerusalem. Now, harboring a huge secret and once again faced with the difficult decision of leaving behind all she knows, Anita must take matters into her own hands as she forges her future. Based on Edith Bruck's popular Italian autobiographical memoir, "Quanta Stella C'è Nel Cielo", the film expertly deals with the powerful and rarely depicted theme of post-Holocaust survivor's guilt. Anita, the sole survivor in her immediate family, constantly yearns to discuss her devastating past with anyone who will listen. However, her pleas fall on deaf ears. Neither Eli nor Monica, both survivors in their own right, wish to relive what happened; much to Anita's chagrin, they insist on moving forward and never addressing the past. Constantly reminded "surviving is one thing and living is another," Anita stumbles over the harrowing path of moving on, finding a confidante initially in baby Robby, and later in David. This difficult tale could not be expressed without an unbelievable and complex group of characters and actors; luckily, Faenza has both. Up-and-coming actress Eline Powell captures the title character with an intensity and honesty that resonates with anyone watching. From teenage innocence to survivor's guilt, from demons of the past to dreams of the future, Powell thoroughly explores and represents all of Anita's binary oppositions. And yet, her performance is rivaled by that of co-actor Robert Sheehan. Playing both the friend and foe, Sheehan superbly depicts Eli in all of his complexity. He pushes the character past the flirty Casanova and evil seducer to reveal a tortured soul who cares about Anita in his own, twisted way. Andrea Osvart, playing the remorseful Monika, delivers a brilliant performance and leaves the audience feeling conflicted about her unsteady relationship with her niece. This refusal to identify any character as a villain or hero is perhaps the film's most compelling element; the individuals are simply people, dealing with an incomprehensible situation in the best way they can. While Anita B. covers a dark and difficult subject, its beautiful cinematography and wide array of multifaceted characters nonetheless inspires hope. "I am traveling light from the past," the title character expresses. "My only baggage? The future."