Cassie England was always a little different. Born with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a rare and painful skin condition that affects one in a million people, Cassie never let her condition stop her from doing the things she loved.
“She was tough and tenacious and just a really amazing kid,” said Logan England, Cassie’s father.
When Cassie was born, doctors gave her a year to live, but 16-year-old Cassie surpassed that prediction and led a fulfilling life until she passed away on Jan. 10.
Cassie lived in Baton Rouge with her family and her adoptive brother who shares the same disease, although a less severe form.
Cassie first discovered her love of anime, Japanese-style animation, at a young age when she watched “Inuyasha,” an anime about a young girl being transported to a magical version of feudal Japan. But Cassie’s passion grew exponentially from there.
“You watch kids go through phases as they get older, but her love of anime stayed with her always,” England said.
Cassie particularly enjoyed anime about schoolgirls who discover they have magical powers and go on adventures with their newfound abilities.
Robbie Bryan, a producer and actor, has been working to honor Cassie’s memory.
“Sometimes when you make a movie, the project takes a turn that you never expected, and this was definitely that,” Bryan said.
Bryan has been working on a film, “Black Hat,” that tells the story of a young girl named Dandi who goes on a cross-country road trip with her grandfather to meet her favorite manga artist at an anime convention.
In the process of crowdfunding the film, a mutual friend of Bryan and England paid to name a character in the movie and decided to tell Bryan about Cassie’s story. Bryan said he was so touched by Cassie’s story that he promised to name the character after her and to further memorialize her in the story.
Cassie had a quirky personality and loved wearing headbands with cat ears on them. Throughout her life, Cassie collected more than a dozen of them.
“Cassie refused to take them off even when going into surgery. She told the anesthesiologist she would not do the surgery if she could not have her ears,” England said.
Because of this, Bryan decided that when Cassie’s character has her climactic scene in the film, she will put on a pair of the ears to signify her character’s change.
“Everything about the film just seems to have been magnified and taken to another level,” Bryan said.
“Black Hat” has a distinct anti-bullying message. Though the film focuses on a particular subculture, the moral of the story is significant for anyone who has been mocked for appreciating alternative forms of art and entertainment.
“It has a really universal message about not judging someone just because they are a little different,” England said.
For updates about the making of the movie, visit blackhatmovie.com.