![]() Unfortunately, the Bondy family was forced to flee the home, like so many of their Jewish neighbors, at the onset of World War II, and their once glittering mansion, left behind and abandoned, was ultimately taken over by the Nazis. ![]() The surrounding grounds were no less plush, with multiple gardens, a lake, fountains, a granary with a tower, forested meadows, leafy fields and, as chronicled by the Escape from Boredom website, “barns, a wheelwright’s and blacksmith’s workshop, a greenhouse with hot water heating and even a petrol filling station.” Designed for entertaining, the estate’s interior spaces ( photos here) were fashioned each more luxe, grandiose and spacious than the last, and include a massive ballroom, a music parlor, a gilded dining room, an expansive kitchen outfitted with a food elevator and a formal entrance hall featuring a fireplace and chandeliers. Towering four stories, the mansion was crafted in the “pseudo–baroque” style, an architectural form quite common for the era. Following a succession of different owners and iterations, the property was eventually acquired by the wealthy Bondy family, who demolished a large estate on the premises to make way for the sprawling Slapy Castle, which was completed in 1930. The historic structure’s origins date back to the 13th century when the acreage where it now stands served as farmland for the Cistercian Order of monks in nearby Zbraslav. The latter, a picturesque village situated just west of the Slapy Reservoir in the country’s Central Bohemian Region, is home to Slapy Castle, a striking private residence turned performance and event venue that figures at the center of the series’ fourth episode, “The Butterfly.” While in the area, cast and crew descended upon such spots as Hradec Králové, Prague and Slapy. ![]() Set in Amsterdam, where the Frank family and their friends hid in the infamous Secret Annex for an incredible 761 days, “A Small Light” only partially made use of the Dutch capital for filming, with the bulk of the shoot taking place in the Czech Republic, where production costs are more competitive. just as important now as it was more than 80 years ago.” Indeed, Miep’s enduring mantra that “Even an ordinary secretary or a housewife or a teenager can, in their own way, turn on a small light in a dark room” remains paramount today. told with grace,” Cultured Vultures deeming it “a remarkable adaptation of one of the most haunting stories of the Second World War” and the Sioux City Journal noting it “towers as a series” with “a lesson. Heartbreaking, uplifting and poignant, not to mention Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, “A Small Light” makes for an imperative watch, with the Boston Globe calling it a “valuable story. Showcasing the oft-chronicled story of Anne Frank (Billie Boullet) through an entirely new and incredibly powerful lens, the eight-part drama recounts the heroic efforts of Amsterdam secretary Miep Gies (a thoroughly engaging Bel Powley), who played an instrumental role in hiding the celebrated teen diarist and her family from the Nazis during World War II. ![]() Take, for example, “A Small Light,” which just wrapped its limited run on the National Geographic channel last week and is currently streaming on both Hulu and Disney+. ![]() Some stories are far too important not to be told. ![]()
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