A Small Light

Started to watch only because I adore Bel Pawley, who absolutely SHINES in this role. Never heard the story of Miep Geis & although familiar w the Anne Frank story, This is all new material for me. A must watch!

Didn't recognize Liev Schreiber, playing Mr Frank. You truly want to love this man & you reallly feel the weight he must burden. Joe Cole also does a great job as Mieps husband. All of the cast is brilliant.

Cinematography brilliant. Wardrobe spot on as are the locations.

The story is very interesting & even though it's a dark place in history, there is much lightness. Couldn't stop watching. Just finished Ep#4.

I once visited the Anne Frank museum house in Amsterdam in Netherlands as a tourist, and learnt briefly about how a family tried to survive through World War II and the genocide. I left the place with questions - why didn't more people try to save the innocent? What would I have done if I was living through that war?

This drama film series, based on actual events, was released by National Geographic / Disney+ in early May 2023. At the time of my review, I have watched the initial episodes, and am now waiting eagerly for the remaining episodes to be released.

The main characters are well developed and deeply portrayed. Anne Frank is not the main character in this drama film; instead it is about the other people who were not famous (people like the rest of us).

Faced with difficulties, challenges and adversity, what would we do in similar circumstances? It's not always obvious. And so, when you see a main character make a right choice, to endure difficulty and to choose human kindness, it can be moving and uplifting.

The director, script writer, cinematographer, crew and actors should be proud of their work. This show, which covers a dark and fearful period, provides hope and meaning.

A light, no matter how small, can fill up darkness. That's the theme of this drama film - if each one of us can be a small light, whether back in history or in our current world, that's all that's needed to make the difference.

This show will both make you feel and hold you captive. I've cried every episode, sometimes out of sadness, but more often out of hope. The hope that in reality too that some may dare to stand up in the difficult times, with a determination to keep on giving despite the risk. However, for me, it doesn't matter one bit if this story is true or not, because the significance is in how well the acting, writing, and everything else immerses me in the time and made me believe in the characters. This shows message resonates strongly in the heart, for it represents well that one small light can make a world of difference. Sacrifice in the name of love.

"A Small Light" is a profound and moving retelling of the Anne Frank story that gifts her tale to another generation. The mini-series narrates the history of the Frank family in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam as seen through the eyes of Miep Gies, one of the heroic people who aided in their concealment. The daring resolution to portray Anne as a minor role is bold and grants a successful result.

The series is a profile of extreme courage, illuminating the bravery of those who stood up to evil in the face of great danger. The acting in "A Small Light" is superb, with Bel Powley and Liev Schreiber delivering standout performances. The direction is excellent, and the cinematography and production design are top-notch. The score is hauntingly beautiful, and the editing and pace are well-done. The dialogue is poignant and moving, and the themes of courage, gratitude, and integrity are powerfully conveyed.

Watching "A Small Light" evokes profound anguish, primarily because we know how it ends. However, amidst this sorrow and loss, the series skilfully intertwines moments of defiance, humour, and perseverance, which serve as glimmering beacons of hope. It stands as a powerful testament to the scars borne by humanity and the dire consequences that arise when individuals fail to confront evil. "A Small Light" is a charming, poignant drama and a powerful, moving series that inspires and uplifts you.

I generally prefer to watch "foreign" films in the original language with English subtitles, because I cannot stand the pseudo, toneless, unsympathetic, dubbed American voices. However, I don't consider this a "foreign" film as such, as it is essentially a British production, and have no problem with the characters speaking mainly English - although some German is used as well.

I think those viewers who have criticized certain historical elements in the characters, their roles, language, personalities and backgrounds, forget that this is, after all, a FICTIONAL account, albeit based on actual events. As so, writers have licence to change incidents, characters, speech, behaviour and so much more, to ensure that the script works in a film genre, and that we have not only an instructional and educational series, but also an ENTERTAINING one which you will want to follow, week after week.

This certainly hits the spot. Miep is engaging, funny, cute, courageous and very, very human. As is Jan - an ordinary "bloke", trying to do a very boring job to the best of his ability, until he is presented with a life-changing challenge. The Frank family and their guests, are all wonderfully presented as ordinary people, thrown into a horrific, terrifying situation.

But to my mind, the most impressive role is Liev Schreiber as Otto Frank. I remember him "fondly" as Ray Donovan and in other macho roles, but here he is underplayed, quiet, with a gentle sense of humour, but a core of steel, just trying to do the best for his family under horrible circumstances.

This series is to be commended for bringing the unknown story of Miep and Jan Gies to the attention of the entire world, thus it's selection of English as the main medium. It is compulsive viewing and I can hardly wait for the final two episodes - even though I know how this tragic story actually ends.