A Small Light follows Miep Geis, a young Dutch woman who sheltered and hid the Frank family for more than two years during World War II. Portrayed by Bel Powley, Miep struggles with the terror of hiding the family as well as others while maintaining an ordinary enough looking life in the Nazi occupied Netherlands.
Powley is fierce here, a passionate and outspoken woman whose opinions and voice threaten to get the better of her every day. We watch her meet her to-be husband, Jan (Joe Cole), who at first she hides her new wards from but who eventually joins her in the task of concealment and who becomes a key part of the resistance. Anne (Billie Boulet) is a precocious and typical young teenage girl who is trapped and forced to grow up looking at the same four walls.
While the story of Frank is well known, and because of Miep we have Anne’s diary to reflect back on, the reality of this experience can get lost in the weeds. This new series does a brilliant job of building a bigger picture of this time in history and the absolute tragedy of war, along with how beautiful small moments, small hopes can be. (eight approximately 50-min. episodes)
—Anna Starkey
