Waiting for Anya

12A; VOD

Michael Morpurgo’s novels have become a staple of childhood reading — and his sixth book to be made into a film is this World War II drama, Waiting For Anya. It’s based on the true story of a young French boy who helped Jewish children and makes for pleasant family viewing.

The film opens in 1942 in occupied France where deportations of Jews have begun. At a crowded station a father (Frederick Schmidt) saves his small daughter, Anya, by handing her to a stranger on a train.

In the less occupied Pyrenees we meet Jo (Noah Schnapp), a boy shepherd who discovers that a local widow (Anjelica Huston) is harbouring Jewish children.

She is working with her son-inlaw Benjamin who told Anya, before he put her on the train months before, that they would meet again in Granny’s house.

When the Germans come to town the hidden children are trapped in a cave. There is no way to get them over the border into Spain. As conditions worsen it becomes clear that the townspeople, led by Jo’s grandad (Jean Reno), are the only hope.

Ben Cookson’s film swells with violins and strong ‘French’ accents but it lacks drama and is slightly toothless. However it means well and is a child-sensitive version of appalling events.