Fans of Star
Wars were in for a treat on Monday as Roger Christian, Production Designer of the cult series,
registered his attendance at the 48th International Film Festival of India
(IFFI). An academy award winner for his work in the original ‘Star Wars’, Roger
Christian was in Goa as a part of an enriching, interactive session with the
young fans of Star Wars, conducted by Association of Friends of Astronomy (Goa)
and Public Astronomical Observatory in collaboration with Entertainment Society
of Goa.
For the uninitiated,
Star Wars is an epic space opera media franchise, centred on a film series
created by George Lucas, that depicts the adventures of various characters, a
long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
The interactive
session saw children between the ages of 7 and 12 display their inquisitive
side by firing a barrage of questions related to their favourite Star Wars, to
Christian who was more than happy to answer them enthusiastically. While
answering one of the questions, Christian went back in time to speak about his
school days. Christian expressed happiness stating that the teachers in India
are unlike the serious and grumpy teachers that he had. Christian’s art
teacher, however, was exceptionally nice, thereby making art an integral part
of his life, he said.
The fun-filled
session also saw Christian throw light on the making of ‘Star Wars’ and
recollect how he would use old camera scraps and aeroplane parts to create
robots and various other characters. When asked by a 12-year-old on whether it
would have been more difficult to make a science fiction film now than in 1977,
Christian nodded in agreement. He said, “Though ‘Star Wars’ was a game changer
and even though its creation was difficult, there was nothing to compare it
with because nothing like that was ever made before. Nowadays, the expectations
are so high. You have Iron Man and Superman flying all around and it’s
difficult to believe all of that; it’s not easy to create a new look. So many
films are being made these days, but for me, after ‘Star Wars’, only ‘Avatar’
worked.”
The
session ended with the kiddie fans of Star Wars handing Christian fan letters
and taking turns to take selfies.
