Film Screening of A Small Light and Creator Q&A
Tuesday, July 18 | 7-10 p.m. | Plotkin Chapel | RSVP
Join the Stephen Wise Temple community on Tuesday, July 18 at 7 p.m. for an exclusive screening of the first episode of A Small Light, the powerful new mini-series based on the inspiring true story of Miep Gies. Following the screening, attendees will get a chance to participate in a Q&A with the show’s creators, executive producers, and writers, Joan Rater and Tony Phelan.
The husband-and-wife team have been developing and running their own shows since 2016, including Council of Dads for NBC, Doubt, and the upcoming Fire Country for CBS. Previously, they collaborated on Gray’s Anatomy, earning a WGA Award for Best New Series in 2005, and two Emmy nominations in 2006 and 2007. Over nine seasons, they wrote 18 episodes, and co-ran the show alongside creator Shonda Rhimes for seasons 7 through 10.
Their new eight-episode mini-series, available now on Disney+ and National Geographic, follows Gies, the young, carefree secretary who hid Otto Frank (Liev Schreiber) and his family from the Nazis in World War II. For nearly two years, Miep (Bel Powley) and her husband Jan (Joe Cole) protected the Franks and others while she held down a day job, kept her marriage intact, and shouldered more responsibility than anyone could imagine. While millions are familiar with the diary of Otto’s daughter Anne Frank (played by Billie Boullet) and the family’s life in the Secret Annex, A Small Light is the lesser-known story of how an ordinary secretary showed extraordinary courage during one of the darkest moments in history.
[RELATED: Holocaust Survivor Michele Rodri Tells Her Story]
Produced by ABC Signature and Keshet Studios and filmed on location in Prague and Amsterdam, A Small Light debuted this spring to near-universal acclaim. It is rated 100% Certified Fresh on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with a 94% audience score. Told with a modern sensibility, A Small Light shakes the cobwebs off history and makes Miep’s story more relevant than ever, forcing audiences to ask themselves what they would have done in her shoes; and in modern times, asking if they would have the courage to stand up to hatred.
