Blame It on Fidel!

Nine-year-old Anna lives comfortably in Paris: a private school, a large flat, a Spanish nanny, regular meals. Then her parents change. Her father confronts his family's past in Spain, her mother starts writing about abortion rights, and both enter political activism. The family moves to a small flat, strangers are constantly staying, the nannies keep changing, and everything Anna knew disappears. Anna does not like the change and resists it. Julie Gavras tells the political transformation of the early 1970s through a child's resistance. The narrative does not vindicate the parents; Anna's wish for stability is taken seriously, and the comedy comes from that. Nina Kervel-Bey plays Anna, with Julie Depardieu and Stefano Accorsi as her parents. Who it's for: Viewers who like French drama, political films told from a child's view, and the 1970s. Who it's not for: A great deal of the period's politics passes through and it is dense for anyone unfamiliar. The narrative also ties itself up too neatly toward the end.