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Star Wars and The English Patient
If you've seen the original Star Wars or the new Prequel, you've seen a bit of Tunisia.
In search of a moonscape with hotel accommodations nearby, American producer George Lucas has filmed not one but two of his Star Wars films in the south of Tunisia. The original Star Wars, which has thrilled audiences throughout the world for more than two decades was filmed in Matmata, a small town whose inhabitants live in ingenious underground houses. The inhabitants have never forgotten Luke Skywalker's visit to Sidi Driss, a troglodyte hotel where faded pictures above the bar remind the visitor of this historic location.
In the summer of 1997, George Lucas returned to his Tunisian inspiration, taking his 250-person crew to the Tozeur Oasis and the Tataouine hills for another film in the Star Wars trilogy. With the assistance of the local people and technicians from London's Lavenshead Studio, Lucas built the mud hut village where the Jedi Knights face the Evil Warriors. Sand storms, 501/4 Centigrade temperatures, and even a shower did not restrain the producer's youthful exuberance. The sand, the sun, the storm," he exclaimed. "It's just like shooting the original!" The new film with its star-studded cast and big budget was released in May 1999. |
The English Patient was largely filmed in Tunisia....
The recipient of nine Academy Awards, The English Patient was the most renowned film of 1997. Producer Anthony Minghella's masterpiece won Oscars not only for Best Film and Best Producer, but also for Best Shooting, thus rewarding Tunisia for its superb scenery.
Although the tale of the The English Patient takes place in Egypt, the producers of the film found that the Tunisian cities of Tunis, Mahdia and Sfax more perfectly represented the Cairo of the 1930's |
| Two important sequences were filmed in Tunis in a spacious, unoccupied former foreign minister's private residence that was built nearly 150 years ago. The old Tunis house represented British Ambassadors residence in Cairo and the scenes that were filmed there were the formal dinner party and the large Christmas celebration dinner for the British Colony. The house was chosen for the authentic period elements in its Islamic architecture and design, its elegant arches , open courtyard and beautiful ceramic work. |
...whose variety and services ideally suit the film industry.
| Other producers before Anthony Minghella have been fascinated by the Tunisian landscape: Speilberg, Rossellini, Zefirelli, Verneuil, Chabrol, and Polanski. Minghella' s chief camera man, Stuart Graig, admitted that he was seduced by the sweeping landscapes not requiring any special effects. According to Ridha Turki, Head Director at International Monastir Film, the local partner, Tunisia offers a privileged setting for internal productions: great travel links with Europe, the skill and efficiency of the Tunisian film industry, and various fiscal advantages. Furthermore, apart from Kristin Scott Thomas, Ralph Finnes, and Juliette Binoche, a dozen professional Tunisian actors together with 3,000 extras took part in The English Patient. |
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Fair, and 81 ° F. 
