Is 'A Small Light' on National Geographic historically accurate?

'A Small Light' unfolds during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam and comes with an interesting perspective to an oft-told story
PUBLISHED MAY 1, 2023
Bel Powley plays Miep Gies in 'A Small Light' (IMDb, YouTube/Disney+)
Bel Powley plays Miep Gies in 'A Small Light' (IMDb, YouTube/Disney+)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Courage is a big word. It sums up many historical events that wouldn't have happened if not for that little speck of emotion. One of the many stories about courage is the story of Anne Frank. Her story is as inspiring as her diary and offers many lessons to this era as well.

The upcoming drama 'A Small Light' by National Geographic is set during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam and deals with the inspiring story of Anne Frank and her family.  

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Us vs them

National Geographic’s chilling biographical drama 'A Small Light' isn't about non-thinkers or people who didn't care about humanity. Even in the midst of the Holocaust, there were still some who believed in kindness and looked for ways to help those being targeted, to shine a small light in the darkest of nights. 'A Small Light' is a metaphor for hope, for all those times when people sat in the darkness and counted their last days, until that small ray of light arrived. What makes 'A Small Light' different is that it assumes a different perspective, one that isn't centered around the Franks. The series focuses on a woman and a network of everyday saviors who are only found in the footnotes of history, if not entirely forgotten.

Is 'A Small Light' historically accurate?

Although the series' foundation is the story of Anne Frank, it does occasionally stray from known historical facts. The series fictionalizes the characters from Otto Frank’s Opekta business and takes away the attention from a key character that helped Otto Frank's family go into hiding. Bep Voskuijl was the one who helped Anne and her family, but her story has been sidelined in the series. Instead, the tale of Miep Gies, who also helped Otto's family, gets more focus. Bep was the key character, but both Bep and Miep were the definition of courage and risked it all to do the right thing. 

'A Small Light' will be available to watch exclusively on National Geographic channel.

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