The accessible series premiere of All the Light We Cannot See.

smallThe premiere of the miniseries took place on Monday, October 30 at the Maxxi Auditorium in Rome All the light we don’t see. An event he organized Netflix in collaboration with Rome Film Festival And Diversity Lab. The TV series, based on his novel of the same name Anthony DoerrPulitzer Prize winner, available from November 2 on Netflix. I will tell you about my experience at this event

The Netflix and Diversity Lab event
The Netflix and Diversity Lab event

A few days ago I was invited to the premiere of the mini-series All the light we don’t seewhich tells his story Marie-Laure, a blind French woman and her father, Daniel LeBlanc. Together they escape from German-occupied Paris with a legendary diamond and find refuge on the shores of Saint Malo. Marie-Laure’s story intersects with that of Werner, a young German recruited by the Nazi regime. The beauty of a love story beyond the horrors of war.

The event in Rome, organized in collaboration with Diversity Labit was a special experience for me: that’s why I want to tell you everything I experienced during the event, starting with the fact that the whole organization was based on accessibility and inclusion.

An accessible event from start to finish: from the invitation method to the ability to request an accessible taxi, guaranteed attendant presence, accessible route, braille photography and catering designed for any need. A soft drink is even designed for children guide dogswith a large bowl of fresh water.

Refreshment for guide dogs
Refreshment for guide dogs

As soon as we entered we were greeted by the whole team with smiles, hugs, photos and a rich and varied buffet. I also tried a few olfactory cocktailsan insane sensory experience.

MeLISegno, the app for learning Italian sign language

Cultures

MeLISegno, the app for learning Italian sign language

We were many people with disabilities (and not only): I saw the communication with the LIS – Italian Sign Language a lot of people and I was very sorry that I didn’t meet her. So this will be one of my next goals: learn sign language to break down another barrier!

Even during the airing of the series itself, everything was designed with accessibility in mind: the first episode was made accessible both to the deaf thanks to the subtitles and to the blind and visually impaired thanks to the audio description. I was thrilled to see that something so specific and important had been done to make the experience truly accessible to anyone. Hoping that this accessibility will one day be normal for the world of film and television.

I won’t hide from you that it was the first time for me too to see a movie with these props and I must say that it was a really profound experience in every way. The narrator’s voiceaudio descriptionedited by Veronica Cosimelli, perfectly accompanied the film. Personally I would choose the option of audio-visual support and to watch the whole series. Because let’s be clear, an accessible and inclusive movie is convenient for anyone, not just the disabled! Imagine you are at home and while you are busy with other activities, you want the company of a movie in the background. If you choose audio description, you can watch and understand the movie even while doing something else, nice, right?

The Netflix and Diversity Lab event
The Netflix and Diversity Lab event

But there is one feeling in particular that has stayed in my heart and that I want to share with you: seeing so many people with different disabilities made me dream for a moment of a world.”mess” in which disability can be everyday and “normal”, while non-disability is the exception. As if we lived in a world completely free of architectural and cultural barriers.

That night a dear friend of mine, without a disability, was with me and she said these words to me: “When in the crowd you experience that strange feeling of feeling a little ‘different’, you realize that we really are all the same after all!”

Ultimately, choosing to make a world more inclusive in various aspects can only improve our lives and the lives of others. We hope that this event can be just one of the first for a future in which the world of cinema – and not only – becomes more and more inclusive and accessible, not only in words but also in action.

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