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Star
Wars (1977)
dir: George Lucas
By
Arthur Handy
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LOCATIONS:
Star Wars,
(1977, dir: George Lucas) |
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| A
long time ago, on a location not so far way. Star Wars may have
been set in 'a galaxy far, far away', but it doesn't take a
hyperdrive to reach real Star Wars locations. For Luke Skywalker's
home, the desert planet of Tatooine, George Lucas used the landscapes
and native architecture of Tunisia (Tataouine is a real Tunisian
town, some miles south of the movie location. Tataouine is both
a city and a region of Tunisia.) |
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| Luke's
sunken home was in the troglodyte town of Matmata, where homes
are burrowed into the soft local sandstone. |
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exterior of the homestead, where Luke contemplates the two suns,
is part of the vast Chott el Jerid, the dry, white salt flat
stretching across central Tunisia to the oases of Tozeur and
Nefta. This is the same location where we first "meet" Luke
Skywalker ("Luke! Lu-uke!") The place we later see him dejectedly
kick a rock, and then stare up into the twin suns as the music
swells ("Da-dum-dum, da-da dum-dum...."). |
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| The
same turnoff, followed six miles north, leads to La Grande Dune,
used for the 'Dune Sea', where C3P0 and R2D2 wander aimlessly.
There is a strong urge to wave your arm and shout, "A transport!
I'm saved!" |
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Take
care on Highway 3, which leads into Algeria - if you inadvertently
cross the border, you can end up in all kinds of trouble. The
gully, where R2D2 is captured by the Jawas, now known locally
as 'Star Wars Canyon' (you can see it again in Raiders of the
Lost Ark), is Sidi Bouhel, east of Tozeur on the edge of the
Chott el Jerid. |
| On
the southern border of Chott el Gharsa near the Algerian border
lies an isolated sand road in the middle of the Sahara, where,
not one, but two "ghost towns." These spectral cities are actually
sets built for filming the Star Wars prequel movies. |
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| Make
sure if you do journey the path of the Jedi or Jawa, pack plenty
of water and plenty of film…Plan your trip wisely and watch
out for Imperial Storm Troopers! Oh - "And may the force be
with you!" |
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