National Geographic series sheds light on heroic woman who hid Anne Frank during WWII
As Women's History Month draws to a close, we are shining a light on a woman who was a hero during World War II.
Miep Gies risked her own life to hide Anne Frank and her family. Gies died at the age of 100 and received many honors for her actions, but not everyone knows her story.
However, a new series by National Geographic titled 'A Small Light,' aims to change all that.
Eyewitness News reporter Lauren Glassberg spoke to one of the series' directors Susanna Fogel.
"They really wanted compelling drama and the way they wanted to tell historical stories was through compelling character work, so they were excited to tell her story," Fogel said.
Fogel directs the first three episodes of the series, which show how Gies meets the Franks and makes the all-important decision to hide them.
Fogel found Gies to be both relatable and inspirational.
"This is actually a young person trying to live her life having really banal 20-something issues while she's doing this huge thing that was a flash point decision she made and all the aftermath of that," she said.
Gies helped to keep the Franks and four others safe for 25 months before the Nazis found them. But Miep never viewed herself as a hero, which is where the title of the show, 'A Small Light,' comes from.
"She said even a teenager, a regular housewife, a secretary can turn on a small light in a dark room," Fogel said. "It's a beautiful and true statement there are little things we can do all the time."
Those little things can add up to be extraordinary.
"She was barely 5-feet tall, easily underestimated because she was a woman and a small woman, and in a way that invisibility was her superpower," Fogel saod.
Gies was a real-life superhero whose story deserves to be told and needs to be told.
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