Almost 50 years ago to the day, a young 31-year-old filmmaker named George Lucas began filming a small science fiction film destined to become legendary: Star Wars.
To mark the occasion, the official StarWars.com website published a lengthy retrospective dedicated to the behind-the-scenes story of this extraordinary adventure, revisiting the numerous obstacles that marked the production. Lucas's third feature film, following the failure of THX 1138 and the triumph of American Graffiti, Star Wars began filming in the middle of a salt flat, on the edge of the Sahara, in Tunisia. A setting already legendary, but one that proved particularly challenging at the time. The very first scene shot was at the Lars homestead, where the Jawas negotiate the sale of droids with Uncle Owen and young Luke Skywalker. A pivotal moment, now imbued with a very special significance in the history of popular cinema.
A Day in Hell££££
The article published by StarWars.com recounts the numerous unforeseen events that complicated the start of filming: scorching heat, unexpected rain in the middle of the desert, technical difficulties with the droids, and the logistical headache of capturing the sunset meant to represent the two suns of Tatooine.
Once this Tunisian phase was completed, filming of this $11 million movie continued at its main base, EMI Elstree Studios in England. The rest is history: upon its release, Star Wars revolutionized world cinema, redefined the very notion of a blockbuster, and gave birth to a saga that, half a century later, continues to fascinate as much as it divides.
The full retrospective article can be found on StarWars.com, along with numerous archival documents and clips related to that very first day of filming.
