* The red sash we see worn by both Lyra Erso and Chirrut Îmwe is known as the red sash of

the enlightened, one of "the scarlet vestments of the sects native to Jedha -- one of the
last holy outposts of Force knowledge in the galaxy." This is to be expected for a Guardian
of the Whills, but this also serves as a visual reminder of the fact that Lyra studied the
history and philosophy of Force users, even when such research was discouraged by the
Empire.

--- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1853785723

I also recommend the Visual Guide. My favorite revelation from the book is (mild spoilers!) that the red
sash worn by both Lyra Erso and Chirrut Îmwe is known as the Red Sash of the Enlightened, marking
them both as related to the Jedha sects of the Church of the Force -- not Jedi, but believers and protectors
of Force knowledge in the galaxy. That fits neatly with what we already know of both characters, but I like
the visual symbolism.

- - - https://eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com/585399.html

When we meet Lyra she is living with her family on Lah’mu, eking out a farm life as they hide from
the Empire. Lyra’s clothes are rough and well-worn and generally unremarkable, except for their
explicit mirroring of Jedi robes. The layering, though practical in this environment, evokes the layers
of the typical Jedi robes, most obviously in the crossover of her tunic and skirts. The high-necked
underskirt calls back to Ben Kenobi in A New Hope - a man surrendered to an alien environment,
hiding from his history and true identity. Not entirely unlike Lyra and her family. With a kyber crystal
necklace that she passes on to Jyn, it is unmistakeable that Lyra believes in the Force and follows
some tradition akin to the Jedi Order even if she is not a Jedi herself. (In early drafts of the script,
Lyra was a one-time Jedi which would have pushed the precise implication of this costume in a
slightly different, more heartbreaking direction.)

In a wider level, there must be loads of people who just believe in the Jedi and believe in the Force
and have been affected by it. If it’s a really ancient religion, as Obi-Wan Kenobi said, it’s got to exist
in thousands or millions of people in the galaxy.

- Gareth Edwards [x]

Star Wars: Rogue One

director reveals new details
on Force-sacred world
Jedha
Part One of EW's run-up to the new 'Star Wars' trailer.

By Anthony Breznican August 08, 2016 at 12:00 PM EDT

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

03/31/15
TYPE

● Movie

Our own world is no stranger to battles over sacred land.

The ancient history that stands atop such places is often swept aside for
invaders to claim the resources that lie beneath. In Rogue One, an entire
planet becomes this kind of combat zone – Jedha, a holy land for those who
follow the Force.

“The Force is basically in Star Wars like a religion, and they’re losing their faith
in the period that we start the movie,” says Gareth Edwards, director of the
story that’s set just prior to the events of 1977’s original Star Wars.

“We were trying to find a physical location we could go to that would speak to
the themes of losing your faith and the choice between letting the Empire win,
or evil win, and good prevailing,” he says. “It got embodied in this place we
called Jedha.”

With its narrow market alleyways, desert sands, and Ottoman-inspired

architecture, Jedha has obvious Middle Eastern influences, but it could be any
place where far-flung followers would gather to pray, reflect, or meditate –
Mecca, Jerusalem, Canterbury, Bodh Gaya…

“It’s a place where people who believe in the Force would go on a pilgrimage,”
Edwards says. “It was essentially taken over by the Empire. It’s an occupied
territory… for reasons we probably can’t reveal.”
Pressed for a little more detail about why the Empire would send its military to
dominate this world of worship, Edwards says, “There’s something very
important in Jedha that serves both the Jedi and the Empire. It felt very much
like something we could relate to in the real world.”

It sounds like whatever passes as a rare natural resource in the galaxy is part
of what makes Jedha so special. A source of kyber crystals, perhaps? Those
are the Force-sensitive minerals that power lightsabers and were used by
ancient Sith to create colossal weapons of mass destruction.

As the Empire finishes its Death Star, kyber crystals could be a key component
of the battlestation’s planet-annihilating laser. But there’s another part of
these sacred places that is often overlooked in the battle over their resources
– their people.

No doubt, they can be a source of tremendous power, too. The Rebels go

there seeking one individual important to their strike against the Empire’s
superweapon.

“Within Jedha, even though there’s the oppressive foot of the Empire hanging
over them, there’s a resistance that won’t give up and our characters have to
go and meet people there to try and secure a person from this group,”
Edwards says.

Although faith is receding at the time of Rogue One, worshipers from

throughout the galaxy, following many different threads of the Force, still
gather to pay their respects on Jedha.

“In a wider level, there must be loads of people who just believe in the Jedi
and believe in the Force and have been affected by it,” Edwards says. “If it’s a
really ancient religion, as Obi-Wan Kenobi said, it’s got to exist in thousands or
millions of people in the galaxy.”

A staff? That's no match for a good blaster at your side, Donnie Yen. But in his hands, this doesn't seem to be a
problem. One thing that's missing from the Rogue One trailer that we've seen in every other Star Wars movie is the
presence of a lightsaber. Yen's character gives us a taste of that familiar hand-to-hand combat, but without the
glowing blade of a laser sword. Not to mention, it calls to mind Rey's staff-wielding in The Force Awakens. (Cue
theory: IS THIS REY'S DAD???) In the background, there's a crashed X-Wing, and beyond that, a cityscape that
resembles the type of architecture seen at the Hagia Sophia. This is a place of sophistication, of wealth, and Yen's
character projects the same.

The planet’s streets are filled with priests, scholars, and holy men and women.
One inhabitant of the planet is described as a warrior monk – Chirrut Imwe,
played by Donnie Yen – a blind man who is accompanied by his protector and
guide Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen), a non-believer in the supernatural who
nonetheless has great faith in his friend.

It’s also the homeworld of Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed) a pilot who was formerly
conscripted into Imperial service but now serves the growing movement
against Emperor Palpatine’s regime.

More on him, and why he still wears the Imperial insignia on his shoulder, in
Tuesday’s story …

For more Star Wars news, follow @Breznican.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

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