Anita B. tells the story of a young girl who returns to her family after surviving the Holocaust and how she and those around her attempt to move on after such a traumatic experience. The film opens with Eli meeting Anita after she has been rescued from the Auschwitz Nazi camp and follows their journey back to Czechoslovakia where Anita's other relatives, Monika, Aron, and Roby, live. Upon her arrival, she is greeted by Monika and the others in their home and is told not to go outside until she receives her papers for fear of being arrested and to never talk about what happened in Auschwitz. As Anita recovers, she feels trapped in the apartment without anything new to see or do, and without anyone to confide in. However, she is able to meet other Jews in her community when she goes to Jewish celebrations, is sent to jail briefly for not having her papers, works with others in a factory, and meets a woman who works in a music shop across the street from her apartment. While these events transpire, Anita develops a romantic relationship with Eli. At first she rejects his advances, but over time they grow close. Their relationship is not completely happy, however; Anita wishes to talk to him about her time in the camps and put her faith in him, while Eli refuses to listen to her and does not seem to care as much for her as she does for him. Time passes and Anita has the realization that she is pregnant with Eli's child. She sees the baby as an opportunity to bring new life and hope into the world but Eli insists she have an abortion because he does not wish to bring a child into a chaotic world. They go together to Prague so she can have her abortion, but ultimately she runs away from Eli, still pregnant, and finds a Jewish refugee center where she makes the decision to go to Jerusalem. The film ends with Anita leaving for Jerusalem with other Jews, her baby, and her hope for a brighter future.
The film Anita B. creates a beautiful world though its cinematography and costume; every shot is beautiful to look at and the spaces the characters move through look lifelike and as if they were pulled out of a photograph. While the film is gorgeous visually, it deals with the very weighty themes of post-Holocaust life that create a palpable tension. This unsettling feeling is reflected in the storyline of Anita and her family; the trauma of the Holocaust is in the background and few details are given about Anita's experience, but the viewer can sense Anita's quiet desperation for someone to help her as the rest of her family attempts to leave their sorrow in the past. Anita's story is ultimately uplifting and hopeful and, by the end, she stands as a strong, female, inspirational figure for Holocaust survivors and leaves viewers wishing to emulate her strength and confidence.
The film Anita B. creates a beautiful world though its cinematography and costume; every shot is beautiful to look at and the spaces the characters move through look lifelike and as if they were pulled out of a photograph. While the film is gorgeous visually, it deals with the very weighty themes of post-Holocaust life that create a palpable tension. This unsettling feeling is reflected in the storyline of Anita and her family; the trauma of the Holocaust is in the background and few details are given about Anita's experience, but the viewer can sense Anita's quiet desperation for someone to help her as the rest of her family attempts to leave their sorrow in the past. Anita's story is ultimately uplifting and hopeful and, by the end, she stands as a strong, female, inspirational figure for Holocaust survivors and leaves viewers wishing to emulate her strength and confidence.