All the Light We Cannot See is a four-episode series from Netflix that attempts to adapt the award-winning book of the same name by Anthony Doerr. Ambitious and well-intentioned, the series was brought to us by Shawn Levy, who was also the director of The Adam Project and Free Guy, and follows the often harrowing story of French teen Marie-Laure LeBlanc, trying to survive World War II, living on her own, and struggling with her disability.
Marie-Lauer lives alone and is blind, but does her best to make a difference in a world destroyed by war. The series has received some criticism, but the hopeful character of Marie-Lauer is worth of some further examination and explanation.
The Character of Marie-Laure LeBlanc in All the Light We Cannot See
We follow Marie-Laure in the German-occupied city of Saint-Malo in France. Every night, she sends messages out using a radio hidden in her attic, helping the war effort, but also trying to reach out to her father, played by Mark Ruffalo, who is missing.
Marie is a strong and competent protagonist, teaching herself how to move through the city despite her blindness, however, the war brings some terrible obstacles for her to overcome, including her father going missing, and she joins the French resistance.
Marie-Laure consistently shows her strength through adversity and also manages to somehow still feel a sense of wonder about the world. She is a character that inspires others to remain strong, and to fight against tyranny and cruelty, never losing faith and being resolute in her ideals.
Who plays Marie-Laure LeBlanc in Netflix’s All the Light We Cannot See?
Marie is a compelling and vulnerable character, played by the visually impaired actress Aria Mia Loberti in her debut role. She overcomes her disability, faces her fears, and shows bravery and determination in her fight against the Nazis.
The director of the series had extensive auditions to find the right person to convey the character of Marie-Laure. The process involved auditioning thousands of people for the role, and the director could not believe that Aria had never acted before.
Aria is active on Instagram @ariamialoberti, where she has shared many pictures and videos behind the scenes of All the Light We Cannot See. This particular post and its caption shows how happy Aria seemed to be about being cast in the show, while strongly implying that we’ll be seeing a lot more of her in the near future:
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Who is Aria Mia Loberti?
Aria is from Johnston, Rhode Island, and was home-schooled by her parents from third grade.
Loberti would eventually go on to study at the University of Rhode Island, graduating with three majors in Philosophy, Communication Studies, and Political Science. She would complete the Honours Program and receive a master’s in ancient rhetoric.
Loberti has a condition known as achromatopsia, a genetic condition that affects her eyesight, making her technically blind.
All the Light We Cannot See is Aria’s first acting job, though expect to see much more of her in the future.
