save lars

Diary

This is our day-to-day story, starting on Friday 25th May 2012, actually the 35th Anniversary of 'Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope'!

 

Enjoy this story by the fans, for the fans.

 

Will we soon bring you a video documentary as well as a book, filled with fantastic photographs of this once-in-a-lifetime undertaking.

Diary

 

On this page, the Pioneers who traveled to Tunisia to Save the Lars Homestead, share with you their very own adventure.

Re-live the excitement of pulling off a restoration that has been one of the most anticipated projects in a galaxy far, far away.

Your guides are: Mark Dermul, Terry Cooper, Mark Cox, Robert Cunningham, Imanuel Dijk and Michel Verpoorten (more on our crew on this page). Oh, and lets not forget our 'caterer', Colin Kenworthy. After all, he supplied us with cool drinks and icecreams when we most needed them.

Day 3

 

Sunday 27th May 2012

 

Since their appointment with the local contractor was scheduled for Monday morning, today was going to be a day off. That may sound a bit weird, since the restoration was not even underway. But the Saviours used this day to assess the damage to the homestead and draw up a definitive list of what materials and tools they would need.

 

But first, they took this opportunity to discover the surrounding area and visit other Star Wars filming sites, beginning with the mountain range of Jebel Krefane near the village of Bouhlel. This is, of course, Star Wars canyon – dubbed thus by Lucasfilm since it was in this wonder of nature that they shot many famous scenes from A New Hope, like the capture of Artoo Detoo by the Jawas, the Tusken attack on Luke and Threepio and so on. Oh, yes, this is also where Indiana Jones threatens to blow up the Ark, but Belloq calls his bluff…

 

After the canyon, they drove out to Oungjemel – Camel Head Rock – to visit the Mos Espa set. It was surprisingly well kept. This site has become a tourist attraction of sorts and thus the government often has workers out there to do some maintenance work. It is always a treat for Star Wars fans to walk around this exotic set and even though it was a re-visit for all of them – bar Michel, who took pictures like there was no tomorrow – the oohs and aahs filled the air.

 

For lunch, they drove into Nefta. The reason for this was twofold. First, a local businessman has truly turned his backyard into Watto’s Junkshop, collecting many set pieces that were discarded after the shooting of Episode I, such as packing crates and parts of podracers. Then into Nefta proper where, in the old square near the souk, there is a little Star Wars shop…

 

After lunch, it was time to get to work and visit the Homestead to assess the damage. The Saviours already had a pretty good idea about the shape the Homestead, affectionately dubbed ‘the igloo’, was in. Not only had they witnessed it firsthand in 2010, but since the launch of the Facebook group, many fans were aware of the plan and sent them their photos too after having visited the location. But still, when seeing the igloo with their own eyes, being able to touch it and check the damage up close, they knew instantly that they would have their work cut out for them.

 

Many of the plastered parts were not salvageable and would need to be replaced completely. But luckily the inner structure – the wooden skeleton – was still mostly intact and would only need reinforcing only in a couple of places.

 

Good news indeed since the Saviours were not only going to be working in almost impossible temperatures, but they were also in a race against time. Work could not start until Monday afternoon and would need to be finished by Thursday.

 

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