All the Light We Cannot See casts blind actress in lead role

By Ishini Fernando 

All the Light We Cannot See is a four-part miniseries, directed by Shawn Levy and developed by Steven Knight, first released in 2023 on Netflix. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Anthony Doerr, the historical drama is set during World War II and follows the lives of its two protagonists Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a French girl who became blind at a young age, and Werner Pfennig, a German orphan boy and talented radio technician. 

The film traces the main events that shape the characters from their childhood to their teens, such as when Marie-Laure escapes from Paris with her father during the German occupation, or when Werner is forced to enlist as a soldier by the Nazis. 

In the drama’s present time, they are both living in the French town of Saint-Malo, facing regular bombings and a dire reality. Their fates become seemingly entwined as Werner works for the Nazis to track down illegal radio broadcasts used to transmit coded messages, while Marie-Laure broadcasts messages under the guise of reading book chapters to help the resistance. But, while Werner listens intently to Marie-Laure’s regular broadcasts, it quickly becomes clear that the last thing he wants to do is give her up. In fact, as the story progresses, viewers will be able to feel their special connection despite their individual missions in war. 

This drama series depicts themes of hope, perseverance, moral conflict and courage. A true viewers’ delight, All the Light We Cannot See was recognized with Emmy nominations for its cinematography, music composition, sound editing and special visual effects. But what makes the series truly ground-breaking in the film industry is its cast; the leading role of Marie-Laure LeBlanc was given to first-time actor Aria Mia Loberti, who is blind. Even the child version of the character is played by blind young actress Nell Sutton. According to an interview with Radio Times, Levy and Knight had taken the decision to cast blind actors early on, inspired by CODA – an award-winning film whose main cast includes deaf actors. They had known there might be a challenge to find the right fit as there are still too few blind actors in the industry, where visually impaired characters are commonly performed by sighted actors. Fortunately, through an open casting call, they found their stars in two newcomer actors, who were able to show audiences a realistic portrayal of living with blindness. 

Beyond casting efforts, the Los Angeles Times reported that Levy brought on board a blindness and accessibility consultant, named Joe Strechay, who is blind himself, to ensure the script and direction represented living with blindness accurately. They also worked closely together to make the set accessible to and considerate of the blind actors, paying close attention to details. Levy admitted in the interview that collaborating with Strechay and Loberti allowed him to realize how much of what he had seen on film about blindness is incorrect. 

While the miniseries is a gripping and captivating watch – and challenges viewers to look past what they initially see – it is also a great example of how filmmakers can improve representation of the blind and work better with visually impaired actors.