Miep Geis Shines
A Small
Light is a riveting intensely emotional dramatic telling of the Anne Frank
story focused on the moral courage of the Viennese-born Miep Geis who helped
hide and support the Frank family and four other Jews in an annex above the
offices where Miep worked for Otto Frank.
A Small
Light is an eight-episode series. In the beginning, Miep is 24 and living with
the Dutch family who adopted when she was a sick child. The family encourages
her to marry Cas. The parents are serious. Cas is her nonbiological gay
brother. Miep goes in search of employment, which is hard to come by in 1930s Amsterdam,
nevertheless, Otto Frank takes a chance on her lack of experience and hires her
as a secretary for Opekta, which produces pectin for making jam.
Otto Frank
had moved his family to Amsterdam from Germany to escape Hitler’s treatment of
the Jews. When the Nazis arrive, Otto Frank, his wife Edith, two daughters
Margot and Anne and four others hide above the business.
Miep Geis
shines. Her moral compass is guides her by compassionate caring and loyalty.
Through the harrowing survival experiences of Miep, her husband Jan, and others
in the Dutch resistance, we see the flipped moral foundations of degradation,
gross unfairness, and severe loss of liberty. And we rally in support of
subversion. In Haidt’s language, Miep and Jan have righteous minds.
A Small
Light is not a
smarmy salvation project. We see real people struggling against a cold-as-steel
evil power, struggling to come to grips with the moral choices of their fellow
citizens, struggling to cope with overwhelming stress that threatens to tear
the fabric of friends and families, and struggling with worry, anxiety, and self-doubt.
Yet in the darkness, a small light shines.
The story
of Anne Frank and her family is well-known. We know the tragic ending. Somehow,
the actors, writers, and producers keep us emotionally engaged through eight
episodes as if we were co-conspirators. I hope it’s not overreaching to say, we
have a glimpse of what it means to have a meaningful life.
Learn More
Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman
Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family.
Series Notes
English
actor Bel Powley shines as Miep Geis and American actor Liev Schreiber is the
dignified Otto Frank. English actor Billie Boullet portrayed Anne Frank so
well.
The writers
were Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, William Harper, and Ben Esler.
The executive
producers were Susanna Fogel, Avi Nir, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Alon Shtruzman,
and Peter Traugott.
The eight-part
series appeared on the National Geographic channel in May 2023 and is currently
available on Disney+ and Hulu. It’s also available on AMAZON.
