Matamata
The main site for any Star Wars fan is the town of Matamata, with its famous underground houses. In particular, one famous hotel.
The Sidi Driss Hotel entrance.
The Star Wars poster (bedsheet) tells you that you’ve arrived at the right place.
The hotel is spread out over five holes in the ground.
Some of these are quite basic.
This hole is the one with the main rooms. I stayed in the room at the top left.
The room was just big enough for two beds.
I was here during the February quiet season, and was the only person staying at the hotel that night. Which was good because the door didn’t close that well, and I didn’t really want to use the chain and padlock.
The main crater is the one everyone comes to see. This is the setting for Luke’s home.
Of course, only the interior shots were filmed here. The exterior setting of a vast desert plain was filmed hundreds of kilometres away (see the Lars Homestead photos later in the trip).
Dining room
In one of the rooms, the scenes where Luke discusses his career plans with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru were filmed.
It was also used in Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones. When Anakin goes to Tatooine in search of his mother, Cliegg Lars tells him and Pademé where she has gone. Also present are the young Owen Lars and his then girlfriend, Beru.
The painting on the ceiling is easily recognised, but there is also decoration left on the wall.
The painted ceiling is still here. Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones
The back of the dining room has a tunnel that leads to another crater. Obviously, the other angles of the dining room were filmed elsewhere (probably in a studio).
Props decorate the alcove and room next to the dining room. These were made up for the filming of Episode 2.
Outside the dining room
There is some machinery in the alcove just outside the dining room, which can be seen behind Cliegg Lars when he introduces himself in Episode 2.
This is a closeup of it.
Room next to the dining room
Other rooms were decorated with futuristic looking doors.
The other side of the door looks a little bit less furturistic.
The markings confirms that this is the filming location.
The props have been fixed up for the filming of prequels, which is why they are in such good condition.
However, they have since been repainted by the hotel owners. They wern’t dark red in the movies.
And in the movies, there also wasn’t any safety posts around the edge of the crater.
The door at the left leads to the hotel bar. In Episode IV, Uncle Owen seems to come from the bar, before wandering around trying to find Luke (who had gone off to look for Artoo). Similary, in Episode II, Cliegg Lars appears to come from this direction. Obviously the bar is a popular location.
The famous Star Wars bar at the Hotel Sidi Driss. Supposedly it contained lots of memorabilia, but it seemed a bit bare when we were there – just a few photos and magazine clippings on the walls, and two folders of newspaper and magazine articles.
The driveway outside the Sidi Driss hotel.
The area above the hotel. The two huts on the right are above the hotel bathrooms.
One final look at the old town of Matamata. Living underground is not as popular these days, so the new buildings are mostly built above ground. After this, we head out to Tozeur.
