The Anne Frank Gift Shop / Film School Radio interview with Director / Writer Mickey Rapkin

When a high-end design firm presents its plans to reimagine the gift shop at The Anne Frank House, the company’s overt appeals to Generation Z sparks a darkly comic debate about collective trauma, the Holocaust and tote bags. THE ANNE FRANK GIFT SHOP, which stars Ari Graynor and Abbott Elementary's Chris Perfetti among other notable actors, imagines a meeting between the Anne Frank House and the New York design firm they've hired to help them appeal to young people. The idea for the film grew out of a disturbing  study that revealed two-thirds of young Americans couldn't tell you how many Jews were killed in the Holocaust. Eleven percent of respondents somehow believe Jews "caused" the Holocaust. The film aims to combat that with humor, disarming young people before making its emotional appeal: We have to keep telling this story again and again and again or it will happen again. Journalist turned filmmaker Mickey Rapkin joins us to talk about the thrill of making the Oscar® shortlist for Live-Action Short (in a category with the likes of Almodovar, Wes Anderson and Alfonso Cuaron), how his a dark comedy has suddenly become very timely and striking the right balance of irreverent humor and the jarring reality of Anne Frank’s actual life story. Watch: The Anne Frank Gift Shop For more go to: rebooting.com/anne-frank-gift-shop