Jillian spoke to the screen writer of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story about the portrayal of a blind warrior named Chirrut. She drew lessons to the events in her life.

I was watching Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in a dark movie theater, in a front row seat, enjoying my popcorn and slurpee. Rogue One tells the story of how one girl, Jyn, goes on a quest to obtain the plans for Darth Vader’s latest weapon, the Death Star. At first glance, one of the characters who helped Jyn in her quest looked like a ninja. I watched him flash onto the screen.

My mom nudged me when the ninja man appeared. “Look at his eyes!” she whispered, “He’s blind!”

“Really?” I asked. Having limited vision myself, I could not tell he was blind at first.

“Yes,” my mom replied, “his eyes are foggy.”

His name was Chirrut Îmwe.

I could not believe my eyes! A blind man in a movie. I never witnessed this type of character before in cinema. I had read about blind protagonists in books but rarely seen them in movies. I watched in awe as Chirrut fought and defeated a platoon of stormtroopers in the temple scene.

My fascination for Chirrut grew even deeper when I had the opportunity to talk to the screenwriter of Rogue One, Chris Weitz. He was the guest speaker on a weekly teleconference comprised of parents of blind children. It was surreal! Weitz described Chirrut as a priest figure or a Buddhist monk, who was the spiritual leader of the group, holding Jyn and her allies together. In fact, we discussed that Star Wars Episode IV, the original movie, used blindness as an asset for tapping into the Force, which was a very inspiring metaphor. In Rogue One, Chirrut’s blindness helps him harness and listen to the Force, which is important in moving the plot forward. The Force is similar to a religion, where people from around the galaxy experience a good, pure energy from everything. For example, when Jyn tries to locate the plans for the Death Star with no success,

Chirrut listens to the Force and locates the pilot who has knowledge of the plans. Throughout Rogue One, Chirrut repeats the line “I am one with the Force, the Force is with me” whenever he is afraid and must summon his inner strength. This line demonstrates Chirrut’s strong belief in the Force, which motivates him to undertake these courageous and faithful acts.

Although the film is based on science fiction, the concepts of faith and courage can be applied to everyday life. Specifically, blind people, such as myself, experience moments of faith daily. When I walk into school, I have to be faithful and believe that my adapted documents will be waiting for me. I have a team of people that I rely on in order to accommodate my materials.

I have a teacher for the visually impaired, Miss Sheehy, and paraprofessionals, Miss Lynn and Miss Farmer, who adapt all the materials I will need every day. I have a case manager, Mrs. Laughlin, who oversees the process. It takes about five days just to get materials ready for any given class. I have to put all my faith in the team.

If I in an unfamiliar place, like at an away game or track meet, I have to rely on my friends and trust that they will help me navigate the terrain. I place my faith and trust in people every day.

In the interview, Chris Weitz also discussed the symbiotic relationship between Chirrut and Baze. Baze is Chirrut’s best friend; they always have each other’s back. Chirrut, being blind, needs help getting on and off the battlefield, and Baze, the sighted one, assists him. In the temple scene, Chirrut is fighting a handful of stormtroopers all on his own, and he believes that he has beaten all of them. However, another group of stormtroopers comes charging at him. Instead of looking in front, Chirrut looks behind for Baze because he knows that he needs assistance. Even though Chirrut cannot see Baze, he knows that he is there. Baze steps up and wards off the second wave of stormtroopers. The relationship between Chirrut and Baze is a true partnership. Chirrut can sense that Baze is there supporting him in all situations. Baze derives courage from Chirrut.

I have to work with a partner every day:

a paraprofessional, a person who assists me in school. While I am mostly self-sufficient, I need help in some areas. When I cannot find my documents in a class or when technology malfunctions, I raise my hand high with a closed fist, a private signal. I look behind for my para, even though I cannot physically see her from where I sit in the front of the classroom. I know she is there.

I have countless examples of how my para provides me with assistance at the most crucial times. Once, in my Forensic Science class, the teacher, Mr. Sullivan, was absent. The substitute teacher did not know how to work Join.Me, the screen sharing software that I use to see the board. She could not even get the projector to turn on. Miss Farmer, my para, explained to her that I needed Join.Me to work. The teacher and Miss Farmer got the software working. The problem persisted, however, because the projector did not work for the other students. Miss Farmer called technology support and another science teacher.

After about ten minutes, the projector and Join.Me were up and running. Even when Mr. Sullivan was not there, Miss Farmer was able to not only to help me see, but also help the other students to see the board as well. Similar to the way Chirrut senses Baze’s presence, I know that both of my para’s, Miss Farmer and Miss Lynn, will be there for me when I need help.

In Rogue One, once the Rebels find the plans for the Death Star, they need power from a cable in order to transmit the files. Towards the end of the film, Chirrut slowly walks into a hailstorm of open fire to turn on the power switch for the cable, something that no one else dared to undertake. He prays, “I am one with the Force, the Force is with me” several times. Chirrut finds and turns on the switch, but is then shot by a stormtrooper. Chirrut’s death leads Baze to find courage and faith. Baze repeats Chirrut’s mantra, “I am one with the Force, the Force is with me” and fights on. Chirrut inspired Baze to act with courage. These warriors shared a partnership that helped each of them become stronger.

I use a white cane to get around the school and community. I have a mobility instructor, Mr. Miller, who teaches me how to properly use a cane and navigate environments. He teaches me to cross streets safely. Sometimes street crossings can be difficult and I need to ask him if it is safe to cross the street based on my judgement.

A few years ago, I was casually talking to Mr. Miller on a mobility lesson when he asked, “Can you cross the intersection of Reckless Place and Route 35?” This was the hardest street crossing in Red Bank. I had never done it before, but I agreed to try.

Mr. Miller asked me how I would cross before I started analyzing the street crossing. I said, “Well, I look in front of me to see if cars are turning, and then when there are no cars I look behind and then to the left.”

“You missed one.”

“Really? Where?” I asked, confused. He pointed to yet another street in the distance. Four different directions, and not in the obvious places either.

I analyzed the street crossing for what seemed like twenty minutes. The traffic never seemed to slow down. My twelve year-old-self needed help from Mr. Miller. I looked behind at the cars and Mr. Miller sensed that I needed guidance. He then told me how I should look at the streets and eventually, I saw a clearing in the road. I said, “Okay!” which signaled to him that I was ready to cross the street. He gave me the okay. I crossed the street quickly and made it to the other side safely.

I still have trouble crossing certain streets today, but I know that during lessons, Mr. Miller protects me when I make the wrong decision. I know that he is there behind me, watching. Like Chirrut when he looked for Baze, all I have to do is say “Okay” and I will hear his voice.

Chris Weitz highlighted the importance of casting in Rogue One. He stated that in the film industry, “...we have failed to represent the spectrum of humanity before [Rogue One], and we want to prove that people can be tremendously successful... even though they are not exactly able in the way that most people expect them to be.” In other words, Weitz emphasized that in Rogue One, there were so many different creatures, robots, humans, and aliens. Each creature was unique and looked different from any other character in the movie. In the same way, people are not always born with obvious traits, making it difficult to identify the abled and the disabled. In order to portray all the characters in the diverse world of Rogue One, the directors looked for an ethnically diverse cast. Weitz, with this intent in mind, created characters like Jyn, a British female lead and Chirrut, who is played by the Chinese actor Donnie Yen. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a Pacific Islander who plays Jyn’s father. Most importantly, with a diverse cast, Chris Weitz was able to send the message that we all have unique abilities, whether able or disabled.

In my own life, I have experienced the power that diversity brings to a group. For instance, many blind people are musically inclined since they have improved hearing to compensate for their limited eyesight. As a blind musician, I have perfect pitch, the ability to play a note without needing to refer to a reference pitch. This helps me to participate in marching band. One day during the 2016 marching band season, the band was competing on a particularly rainy day. It was raining so hard that the bass guitar player, Matt, could not play his solo. His bass guitar needed electricity in order to work, and the pounding rain could damage the equipment.

“Well this is unfortunate,” said Matt as we looked out at the gray, gloomy sky.

“I’m sure we can work something out,” our section leader, Tim, replied. “Let me go get Mr. Raguseo.”

Mr. Raguseo, the band director at South, walked into the band room a few minutes later. Once he thought of possible solutions, he said, “Maybe we could have one of the mallet players play the solo, a xylophone perhaps.”

I jumped at the chance and interjected, “I can do it!”

“Really?” asked Mr. Raguseo, “Can you play it?”

When the time came, I played the solo on a vibraphone, a xylophone that has a deep, resonant sound that comes close to the sound of a bass guitar. I, like Chirrut, have certain gifts because of my blindness, and they can come in handy in unexpected ways. I felt I came through for the band that day.

Both Matt and I come through for each other. Sometimes, Matt helps me navigate the football field. When the band walks down the bleachers to prepare for the halftime show, Matt comes up to where I sit and gives me his elbow, a sighted guide technique. Matt does sighted guide correctly, by giving me his elbow and walking one step ahead of me. He even tells me what is coming next, like “There’s a few steps down.” Matt does sighted guide in a very proud manner; he stands up straight and keeps his head up high. Matt’s sighted guide style is that of a gentleman escorting a lady to the dance floor. He, along with many other band students, knows about my disability and includes me in every aspect of marching band. The band accepts me for who I am. I love that! Matt and I both have our strengths, and that makes us interdependent.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story sends an empowering message because its diverse cast works together to help each other accomplish a far-fetched mission. The ideas of diversity and partnership suggest that including a disabled person in an activity can make a positive difference. Blind people such as myself have to use faith and courage on a daily basis, which makes us strong and persistent individuals. When I first saw Chirrut on the big screen, I felt so happy that a blind person was portrayed as an over-capable warrior. Although Weitz does not see Rogue One as the abled versus the disabled, most people in society do see the world in this manner. It is so inspiring when people with disabilities are given a platform. Faith, partnership, and diversity bring people together in surprising ways. Those ideas can create a force like the Force itself. No wonder why opposites attract, why the underdog ends up overcoming, why a ragtag group of heroes ends up saving the world. Being unique, diverse and interdependent makes us all stronger.

Jillian, New Jersey

Written as a sophomore in high school