HOLLAND
GERMANY
AUSTRIA
ITALY
TUNISIA
Nights were spent in italicized locations.
2000 October 27 : Friday
| Sep 20 |
Portland |
| Sep 21 | Charles
de Gaulle, Delft |
| Sep 22 | Amsterdam,
Delft |
| Sep 23 | Delft,
Rotterdam, Stromberg |
| Sep 24 | Dinkelsbühl,
Munich |
| Sep 25 | Schloss
Neuschwanstein, Munich |
| Sep 26 | Munich,
Solnhofen, Rothenburg ob der Tauber |
| Sep 27 | Rothenburg
ob der Tauber, Salzburg |
| Sep 28 | Berchtesgaden,
Salzburg |
| Sep 29 | Salzburg,
Vienna |
| Sep 30 | Vienna,
night train |
| Oct 01 | Venice |
| Oct 02 | Venice,
Verona, Florence |
| Oct 03 | Florence,
Pisa, Cinqe Terre (Monterosso) |
| Oct 04 | Cinqe
Terre: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso |
| Oct 05 | Cinqe
Terre (Monterosso), Rome: Coliseum, Forum |
| Oct 06 | Palestrina,
Rome: St. Peter's, Vatican Museum |
| Oct 07 | Rome:
Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountaine, Palatine Hill, etc. |
| Oct 08 | Santa
Maria Capua Vetere, Caserta, Naples |
| Oct 09 | Pozzouli,
Santa Maria Capua Vetere, Caserta, Naples |
| Oct 10 | Positano |
| Oct 11 | Mt.
Vesuvius, Pompeii, Positano |
| Oct 12 | Paestum,
Positano |
| Oct 13 | Positano,
Amalfi, Ravello, night train |
| Oct 14 | Taormina |
| Oct 15 | Catania,
Palermo, Trapani |
| Oct 16 | all-day
ferry, Tunis |
| Oct 17 | Tunis,
Thuburbo Majus, Zaghouan, Kairouan |
| Oct 18 | Kairouan |
| Oct 19 | Mactaris,
Sufetula, Kairouan |
| Oct 20 | Kairouan,
Monastir, El Jem, Houmt Souk |
| Oct 21 | Ajim,
Medenine, Ksar Hadada, Tataouine |
| Oct 22 | Ksar
Ouled Soltane, Douirat, Chenini, Foum Tataouine, Matmata |
| Oct 23 | Matmata,
Douz, Chott El D'Jerid, Tozeur |
| Oct 24 | Sidi
Bouhlel, Chott El Gharsa, Tozeur |
| Oct 25 | Chebika,
Tamerza, Mides, Seldja Gorge, Tozeur |
| Oct 26 | Sidi
Bouhlel, Chott El D'Jerid, Tozeur |
| Oct 27 | Chott
El Gharsa, Chott El D'Jerid, Sidi Bouhlel, Tozeur |
| Oct 28 | Chott
El D'Jerid, Sidi Bouhlel, Tozeur |
| Oct 29 | Dougga,
Sidi Bou Said, La Marsa |
| Oct 30 | La Marsa,
Rome |
| Oct 31 | Rome,
Atlanta, Portland |
|
|
|
| ©2001-2008 by Mitch Darby - all rights reserved. | |
CHOTT EL GHARSA & OUNG JEMEL ['cont.]
A few days later, I awoke at dawn and headed back to the Episode I sets by myself. Arriving at 7:30 in the morning, I had the entire place to myself and was able to quietly compose and shoot photos at my leisure. Around 9:00 a team of French moto-cross racers turned up to place flags on a nearby race course. Shortly thereafter, another Berber appeared, this time from a small hut on a nearby dune. He spent time greeting the French before seeking me out.
He seemed to be an old man judging by his heavily weathered face and hands. Though my lack of French prevented full comprehension, I did understand when he told me that he was the "guardian" of the sets. I wondered how much he really knew about the films that were shot here. The question answered itself when he produced his official I.D. - with someone else's picture! After a few more minutes of chit chat, I bid him farewell and departed before he could demand his "guide's fee."
I got up early to take advantage of the low sun for photographs and raced back out to the Chott El Gharsa.
01) CHOTT EL GHARSA | The
formation at the right is known locally as Ongh Djemel ("Camel's Neck").
02) CHOTT EL GHARSA | Ongh Djemel up close. The base camp in THE ENGLISH PATIENT was filmed at it's
base.
|
From
STAR WARS : EP. I : THE PHANTOM MENACE
The PROBE DROID beeps and whistles to DARTH MAUL... |
03) OUNG JEMEL | Same
spot - on the ridge behind Ongh Djemel. The circular marks up it's side
are from motorcycles.
|
From
STAR WARS : EP. I : THE PHANTOM MENACE
|
04) OUNG JEMEL | Same
spot - October 2001. Note the "road" in the background. It is
hard packed and well used. The ENGLISH PATIENT & SW|EP I sites are
on the "safari circuit."
|
From
STAR WARS : EP. I : THE PHANTOM MENACE
QUI-GON and ANAKIN run toward the Naboo spacecraft. ANAKIN is having a hard time keeping up. ANAKIN: Master Qui-Gon, sir, wait! QUI-GON turns to answer and sees a DARK-CLOAKED FIGURE bearing down on a speeder bike. QUI-GON: Anakin, drop!
QUI-GON: (Cont'd) Annie, get to the ship! Take off! Go! Go! |
05) NEAR OUNG JEMEL| Same
spot - no spaceship. The "cafe" is behind me.
|
From
STAR WARS : EP. I : THE PHANTOM MENACE
|
06) NEAR OUNG JEMEL | Same
rocks. In the background, you can see the "small set."
07) NEAR OUNG JEMEL | The
"small set" was a recreation of a portion of Ksar Hadada (see
Oct 21).
08) NEAR OUNG JEMEL | Typical
set constrution: 2x4's, chicken wire, & plaster.
|
From
STAR WARS : EP. I : THE PHANTOM MENACE
KITSTER:
But you don't even know if this thing will run. QUI-GON approaches the GROUP and gives ANAKIN a small battery. JAR JAR gets his hand caught in the afterburner and tries to tell Anakin, but can't get words out that make sense. QUI-GON:
I think it's time we found out. Use this power charge. ANAKIN
jumps into the little capsule behind the two giant engines. He puts
the power pack back into the dashboard. EVERYONE backs away, except
for JAR JAR who calls for help. Finally PADME frees him and the
engines ignite with |
09) NEAR OUNG JEMEL | In
Ksar Hadada, this area of the structure was a courtyard. In the set, one
wall was removed - opening it up.
10) NEAR OUNG JEMEL | This
set was in bad shape. It was covered in graffitti and falling apart in
places.
11) NEAR OUNG JEMEL |
The steps and "rail" appear nearly exactly as they do at Ksar
Hadada. Note that half of the steps are missing. Sand has started to bury
the structure. .
|
From
STAR WARS : EP. I : THE PHANTOM MENACE
KITSTER (a young boy about Anakin's age), SEEK (a boy of ten), AMEE (a girl of six), and WALD (a Greedo Type, six years old) join ANAKIN, JAR JAR, ARTOO, and PADME securing some wiring. ANAKIN: Padme and Jar Jar, this is my friend Kitster, and seek, Amee, and Wald. All whistle, hoot, and speak a greeting. KITSTER:
Wow, a real Astro Droid...how'd you get so lucky? SEEK, WALD, and AMEE take off, laughing. JAR JAR is fiddling with one of the energy binder plates. |
12) NEAR OUNG JEMEL | Same
view - October 2001.
13) NEAR OUNG JEMEL | This
dune has started to bury the set. In another few years, there's every
reason to believe it could be covered. That's my car just beyond it. [update
2007: This set is now buried in the sand. As the dune continues to move
west, it's possible that the set (or whatever is left of it) will emerge
from behind the dune in several year's time.]
14) NEAR OUNG JEMEL | Others
are alerted to my presence. Note the guy leading a camel over near my
car. Also a man is approaching from the left (just out of shot). He wanted
me to buy some trinkets. I declined. I already have plenty of trinkets.
So I went back to the car and got in (after politely declining to buy
some trinkets from the guy with the camel). I drove around the dune in
the background to re-visit the larger "Mos Espa" set.
15) "MOS ESPA" | Signs,
signs, everywhere's signs...The sign says "No Entry - Tunisian Military
Zone." I went right in.
16) "MOS ESPA" | The
round building with the two cones sticking up was Watto's junk shop in
the film (THE PHANTOM MENACE). The sets were only built a little higher
than the tallest actor (in most cases, Liam Neeson). Everything above
the height of these structures was added digitally in the final film as
seen in the shot below.
|
From
STAR WARS : EP. I : THE PHANTOM MENACE
The little GROUP walks down the main street of Mos Espa. They pass dangerous looking citizens of all types. PADME looks around in awe at this exotic enviroment. |
17) "MOS ESPA" | Unlike
the "small set," this one was completely refurbished and had
been filmed several weeks prior to my arrival by the Episode II team.
18) "MOS ESPA" | The
doors are made of plywood and painted. In many cases, they don't open.
19) "MOS ESPA" | In
other cases, they do. I opened one, and found the remains of a dressing
room.
20) "MOS ESPA" | The
vaporators, such as the one at the right, were made from plywood with
bits of metal and sections of PVC pipe attached.
|
From
STAR WARS : EP. I : THE PHANTOM MENACE
The little GROUP walks down the main street of Mos Espa. They pass dangerous looking citizens of all types. PADME looks around in awe at this exotic enviroment. |
21) "MOS ESPA" | The
structures in the preceeding photo can be seen at far left in this one.
22) "MOS ESPA" | A
bad photo makes for a dark alley.
23) "MOS ESPA" | I'm
still amazed the vaporators hadn't yet been stripped from the set as several
greedy "collectors" regularly make trips from Europe and the
U.S. specifically to "aquire" set pieces.
|
From
STAR WARS : EP. I : THE PHANTOM MENACE
QUI-GON, PADME, JAR JAR, and ARTOO move out into the street. JAR JAR is walking behind the others. They walk by an outdoor cafe filled with a rough gang of aliens, one of which is especially ugly, SEBULBA, a spider-like creature. |
24) "MOS ESPA" | Sebulba's
Cafe - October 2001.
25) "MOS ESPA" | The
view from Sebulba's Cafe. Watto's shop is directly in the line of sight.
26) "MOS ESPA" | Buttressing
based on the Tunisian vernacular.
27) "MOS ESPA" | On
a dune above the set, I watched as a Land Cruiser arrived and men began
to set out flags for an upcoming motocross race. From a hut on an overlooking
dune (barely visible in this shot - straight out on the horizon), a man
emerged. The "guardian" of the set. He came down to check things
out.
28) "MOS ESPA" | Zoom
shot showing the Land Cruiser.