About

Frances Fabri was a fourteen year old girl when she and her parents were deported to Auschwitz. She left an amazing set of stories which were published after her passing as the book "Crickets Would Sing". Through a series of random events that book made it into the hands of artist and independent filmmaker, Mauricio Baiocchi.

Mauricio carried the book with him for several years hoping to find a director willing to helm the difficult task of bringing her stories to life. In the meantime, he had inadvertently assembled a world class team of animators, musicians, puppet makers, and painters to create the beautiful and magical world of his own film, Cicada Princess. On the heels of that project and witnessing first hand the power of moving hearts through beautiful images, it became all too evident that this was to be their next task.

"Crickets Would Sing" is a 23 minute animated film based on an amalgam of stories from Frances’ book. At the conclusion of the short film we will also reference the “Modern Era” genocides such as - Armenia,Cambodia,Guatemala, Rwanda and Darfur. An education package will be developed and distributed along with a short documentary film that includes interviews with survivors, people who knew Frances and footage of the “making of” Crickets Would Sing. Both films and materials are to be free for schools, museums, and institutions to help educate and empower new generations. The film will belong to the world carrying Frances’ delicate and powerful message of a love that never dies.