november-2011

TUNISIA
Fans (one dressed as a stormtrooper),
at “The Igloo”, Luke’s home in Star
Wars, now a pilgrimage site for
devotees of the movie. Right: Director
George Lucas with C-3PO in the same
location in the 70s
“The reaction I got from fans was
just phenomenal,” says Dermul,
who runs tours to Star Wars
locations in Tunisia. “Hundreds of
people donated and within 10
months we had the US$10,000
needed to restore the Lars
Homestead, which should take
about a week. We are planning to
return to Tunisia some time early
in 2012 with a crew of six people
and start working. It has really
been a fan-driven campaign.”
The initiative will not only benefit
Star Wars fans but also the
Tunisian economy, with Dermul
86 Thomas Cook Travel
agreeing with authorities to use
local building materials – The Igloo
is made out of plaster, wood and
chicken wire – and labourers for
the project. In addition to getting
support from the Tunisian
government, the fans also received
the thumbs up from the man who
put The Igloo in the desert in the
first place.
“George Lucas is very much
aware of what we are doing and has
been very supportive,” enthuses
Dermul. “Lucasfilm explained that
they can’t get involved financially
because that would create a
The ancient mud grain
stores of Medenine feature
in The Phantom Menace
precedent and every fan with an
idea would come knocking on their
door. They gave us the thumbs up
to go ahead, though, and gave us
some images to use on promotional
material. They are very excited to
see fans so committed.”
The passion Star Wars fans
harbour for The Igloo, and the
Chott el Jerid salt lake, does indeed
run deep. This has been Luke
Skywalker’s home since 1976 when
George Lucas first erected the
Lars Homestead for the original
Star Wars. That particular
structure was, in 1999, replaced
PHOTOGRAPHY ABSOLUTE FILM, AMAR GROVER / JOHN WARBURTON-LEE PHOTOGRAPHY