Amira Casar (A Beacon of Hope): "Fascism really hangs in our face"

What attracts you most about this mini-series?

Let’s highlight two women we know very little about. Meip was an exemplary person with her honesty and strong character. She was moral without being moralistic, and she had great respect for others and human values. She went to talk to the young people so that what she went through for the rest of her life would not happen again. The scary thing is that this is still happening today and the fascists are no longer hiding. Look at Italy and other countries…

Tell us a little about Edith Frank…

We know very little about him. We’ve seen him in photos and we know the severity and intensity of his relationship with Anne. It was “I love you, I love you, I hate you, I hate you.” The mother writes nasty things about her mother in her diary. But she apparently protected her mother a lot in the camps, according to survivors. Unlike Otto, who survived, there are no interviews with Edith. But we know he has a German accent. Talking about herself very well, Meip also gave elements of her character. She was her husband’s secretary but also his confidant, somewhat like a member of his family. Edith was a tough, modern woman who wanted to raise her daughters in a Montessori education. She did this because she wanted them to be free to pursue an exciting profession. It was extraordinary.

You speak very emotionally about this…

I love this. I think he was humble and authoritative. Franks lived in the dark (Editor’s note, where they are stored in the Appendix), in heat, humidity, odors… They cannot speak and should not make a sound. Despite everything, it was necessary to educate the children and give them hope. Edith no longer had her privacy. The Franks had given the best bedrooms and living room to the Van Pels family. They were: they always gave the best cuts of meat, and others had to help themselves first… Never have I played such a person, with such humility.

how do you feel while reading Diary of Anne Frank ?

I think he was a little philosopher and we lost a great writer. To me, her parents knew that they had an absolutely wonderful daughter and that they needed to develop and maintain that talent. His diary was hidden in his father’s briefcase. Margot’s did not survive, but Anne’s did… It is still a miracle that the furniture was confiscated the day after their arrest. This story makes me sad because it still resonates today. They are young people fighting Nazism and ignorance.

This mini-series a ray of hope a reminder to remember the story?

Today the fascists are no longer hiding. We are at a special time today. Fascism really hangs in our face. I am very sorry for the situation in Italy. But it goes everywhere. There have never been so many sick dictators and rulers in the world. It started with Viktor Orbán in Hungary and Europe turned a blind eye to it. The Franks believed in a united Europe, and I want to believe that too. This series exists to open your eyes and say that the story has weight. The new generation should not forget this. I love history, as a child I wanted to be a historian. I love discovering people’s lives, their fights, human evolution, the art of writing, and exemplary people who left their mark on their time despite the difficulties…

Anne Frank wrote: “I don’t want to live for nothing”. Thinking the same?

I think all life has value. My life is not more valuable than the other because I do an artistic work, on the contrary. What interests me in my career are those with human experience and inner conflict. My next role is, for example, the role of a very fragile woman. A beautiful and wonderful series.

In recent years, you have toured in serials. Versailles, savages and now a ray of hope. But you never did before 2015. What changed?

The series evolves. There is great writing and roles for women. Also in the cinema. Things are changing for women and it was necessary because we have a lot to say. We are still part of society. There is wealth to be exploited. I tell my friends that time is our ally. He is for me. We have a few more bruises and scars, but we can choose and share human experiences.

Pauline Hohoadji