'All the Light We Cannot See' director elevates beauty of family, power of words in Netflix adaption
“All the Light We Cannot See,” the Netflix adaptation of the beloved book by Anthony Doerr, intends to elevate the importance of family and highlight the power of words at a time when social media has become a potent platform for division, according to director Shawn Levy.
In an interview with The Christian Post, Levy reflected on the central themes of the story, which follows the life of Marie-Laure, a blind French girl and her father, Daniel LeBlanc, who flee German-occupied Paris with a priceless diamond to keep it from falling into the hands of the Nazis.
Set in the small French town of Saint-Malo, Marie broadcasts a radio signal from an undisclosed location, hoping to hear from her uncle, Etienne, and her father, who’s been gone for more than a year.
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During these broadcasts, she reads Jules Verne’s Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, which is actually a coded transmission to the U.S. Army. A young German man named Werner, who is disillusioned by the war in which he’s been forced to participate, picks up these broadcasts and becomes determined to both find and protect the girl behind them.
Levy, who is behind "Stranger Things" and "The Adam Project," emphasized that the protagonist's blindness in the story made sound, language and music crucial elements in conveying her experiences. Drawing parallels between the story's 1930s and 1940s setting and the contemporary age of social media, the director underlined the significance of words in shaping public opinion and emotions.
“In the '30s, and '40s, radio was this wildly critical, popular and important tool, and it was a tool where words could be shared for enlightenment and connection, but it could also be shared for misinformation and propaganda and hate,” he said.
“And I think, frankly, if you substitute radio for social media, you have a mirror to our current times. Words matter. And words of hate can stoke the flames of hate, and words of connection, and optimism and humanity can foster those better qualities. I felt that that was an important message in the book, and I wanted that to be a core theme of the show as well.”
The four-part series, which hits Netflix on Nov. 2, stars Aria Mia Loberti, Louis Hofmann, Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie.
A central theme in “All the Light We Cannot See” is the influence of parents and mentors in shaping a person's character. The relationship between Marie-Laure and Daniel takes center stage as they navigate a world filled with challenges, from the young girl's blindness to dodging Nazi soldiers.
The series brings to life how Daniel carves out a three-dimensional map of Paris to help his visually impaired daughter learn to navigate the streets and buys her books in Braille, equipping her to later survive Nazi occupation and ultimately, help her city.
Levy, a father of four daughters, stressed that the act of empowering young people, instilling faith in their abilities, and nurturing their independence and authenticity was a priority when bringing the book to life.
“I think that there's this very iconic element to the story where a father has built a model of a city to teach his blind daughter how to navigate the world with empowerment, and I think that's what we're all doing,” he said. “It's what a good parent does, it's what a good teacher does, is to give young people knowledge, yes, but above all, of faith in their own capacity and a competence in their ability to have agency in this world, and to find their way through the world, both literally and figuratively, with a sense of autonomy, independence and authenticity.”
Released in 2014, All the Light We Cannot See was on The New York Times bestseller list for over 200 weeks and sold over 15 million copies. The story, which has been praised by Christian critics, was recently lauded by artist Natalie Grant for its commitment to elevating light in an increasingly dark culture, though it's not a faith-based film.
“I think about just the power of words and what we speak over people,” she recently said, reflecting on the series.
“Obviously, the general thinking is, what are we saying online … but I’m not talking about the big, I’m talking about in our circles. What are we saying to the people that we love in our communities, in our families, in our circles? What are we speaking? The Bible even says, 'The power of life and death is in the tongue.' (Proverbs 18:21) And there was just something about the whole show, thinking about the commonality between even the main girl and the soldier, it was the power of words.”
For Levy, the series aligns with his commitment to creating films and series that promote family connections. The director said he believes in the value of shared viewing experiences that bring families together and create lasting memories.
“I do return to certain themes and certain goals throughout my work, and I like stories that are about connection and family connection,” he said. “But I really love opportunities to tell a story that has a chance of being a shared experience, shared viewing … shows I watch with my kids and or I can watch with my parents.
I think that when we experience things collectively, it further bonds our shared memories that helped build our sense of belonging and our sense of family.”
The Netflix series premieres on Nov. 2.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
