– Rupert Wyatt and Emilie Phuong’s work is a gripping historical espionage thriller whose contemporary framing sidesteps meaningful commentary on today’s conflicts
World-premiering in the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, The Sunrise File is a geopolitical thriller directed by Rupert Wyatt and Emilie Phuong. The movie is a sweeping espionage thriller spanning the end of the Second World War to the trial of Klaus Barbie, taking viewers from Paris and Berlin to La Paz, Tel Aviv, Milan, and Jerusalem, as investigators pursue some of the last surviving architects of the Holocaust. The story unfolds across two timelines: in the present day, Mossad agent Oded Ailam (voiced by Brian Cox) seeks to uncover the truth behind a mysterious Second World War file, while, in the past, renowned German-French Nazi hunter Beate Klarsfeld (voiced by Diane Kruger) and her husband, Serge Klarsfeld (voiced by Yvan Attal), lead a decades-long campaign to track down Nazi war criminals and bring them to justice. The film primarily draws inspiration from the case of Klaus Barbie.
The Sunrise File boasts astonishing post-production. The sound design, soundtrack, and overall colour palette are especially impressive. While the animation style is visually appealing, it’s not particularly original and, at points, we feel it could have reached its full potential in an alternative form. The film’s strength, however, lies in its editing, and the way the story unfolds as a direct result of this. The narrative moves through multiple settings and time periods, giving it a dynamic rhythm which keeps the audience engaged. Wyatt and Phuong’s feature aims to tell a story that’s part of a broader historical context, focusing on the escape of Nazi officials from prosecution after the end of the war. The subject-matter is disturbing, which creates a compelling plotline and builds strong dramatic tension throughout.
The main issue with The Sunrise File is that, although it tells a story rooted in the past, it also tries to connect it to the present through the character of the Mossad agent. However, despite introducing present-day elements, the film avoids engaging with the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Instead, it focuses almost exclusively on the historical narrative while still including references to current events. For example, there are mentions of the war in Ukraine on television, as well as comments about the current situation in Israel and Palestine during the film’s opening scenes. Since the film wilfully incorporates these contemporary references, the decision not to explore or comment further on them feels somewhat overcautious. It leaves the impression that the film wishes to acknowledge today’s political context without taking a meaningful position on it.
Ultimately, it might have been more effective to set the story entirely in the past rather than intertwining it with the present while avoiding deeper engagement with the contemporary issues it introduces. As it stands, the film feels only partially developed, or rather, it leaves us feeling bitter over a potentially wasted opportunity to offer a broader reflection on the current state of the world by looking back at the injustice of the story at the heart of the film.
The Sunrise File was produced by Superprod (France) and Mélusine Productions (Luxembourg). The US company Republic Pictures are managing international sales.
