The Empire gives back

In the children's hospital of the CHL (Centre Hospitalier Luxembourg), four people with large suitcases disappear unnoticed into a back room. They start to change their clothes. "Maybe that's why we immediately get along so well with the other members everywhere, " Daniel Sgarabottolo says with a laugh: "Because we always help each other in the changing room." He gives one last tug on the fastening of the backplate of the sand-coloured armour of the Stormtrooper – a Shoretrooper, to be precise – in front of him. "That’ll do, " he says, as he taps on the shoulder of Alessandro, who is now almost in full gear.

Daniel himself wears the pitch-black officer's uniform of the Galactic Empire, which first appeared on screen in 1977 when it searched for Rebel Princess Leia under the command of Darth Vader in the blockbuster A New Hope. Few franchises have shaped the pop culture zeitgeist since that first appearance like Star Wars did. None inspires so many people around the world to imagine themselves in their favourite characters with true-to-life costumes. The "501st Legion" may be named after the very Stormtrooper regiment that stormed the Rebel corvette transporting princess Leia, but today they are the bad guys doing good: a global fan club with over 14,000 members, known to the outside world primarily for their cosplay appearances. Like today at the Children's Hospital in the CHL, because it is the fourth of May, unofficially "Star Wars Day", because the pronunciation sounds like Jedi greeting "May the force (fourth) be with you".