10. Earth Influences on the Galaxy Far Far Away
One can imagine any kind of world, even create those worlds on paper. But, recreating them in sweeping shots, then filling those world with whole cultures, and writing languages, was not so easy in the ’70s. The great thing about Earth is that there remains much to be seen for most people. Audiences find many cultures “otherworldly.” Perhaps this is why Lucas used existing cultures to inform the cultures of the Star Wars universe. The Jawas speak a language based on South Africa’s Zulu. Ewoks speak something like the Philippine’s Tagalog. The land of Tunisia became the backdrop for Tatooine, Luke’s home planet. Norway became the planet, Hoth.