Ksar Ouled Soltane: Debunking the Myth

The Médenine and Tataouine governorates in southeastern Tunisia are populated with over 100 ksour (singular: ksar), centuries-old Amazigh fortified granaries consisting of a series of ghorfas (elongated, vaulted storage chambers) stacked two to four stories high surrounding a central courtyard. Ksar Ouled Soltane, situated on a remote hilltop approximately 22 km southeast of Tataouine city, is one of the most picturesque and widely promoted Tunisian ksour with 287 well-preserved ghorfas, numerous steep stone staircases scaling four stories high (the fifth story no longer exists), and a large assortment of mounted wooden hooks used to hoist bags of agrarian goods to/from the ghorfas. The original (west) rectangular courtyard (60 x 40 m) was constructed in 1699. The outer (east) courtyard was added in the mid-19th century. The entire complex was fully restored in 1993 and continues to enjoy wide-scale popularity as a top-ranked tourism destination in southern Tunisia.

The longstanding inaccurate claim linking Ksar Ouled Soltane to Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) filming is the product of several conflated factors. The defense of the ksar’s status as a Star Wars film site hinges on at least one of the following to be true: (1) Ksar Ouled Soltane was included in the Episode I Tunisia shooting schedule (late July to mid-August 1997), (2) Lucasfilm Ltd. returned to Tunisia in 1998 to film pick-ups and reshoots, and/or (3) Ksar Ouled Soltane architecture appears in the cityscape background of Episode I Mos Espa footage. This article will evince that all three suppositions are false and thereby categorize all claims associating Ksar Ouled Soltane with Star Wars franchise filming as misplaced tourism propaganda.

LOCAL LEGEND

The first documented reference associating the isolated Ksar Ouled Soltane to the Star Wars franchise dates to early July 1998 and somewhat surprisingly in reference to Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002). Cinescape magazine indicated on 3 July 1998 that the “new Star Wars movie” [Episode II] was reportedly scheduled to include scenes filmed at a “location called the Ksar Ouled Soltane.” Nine months later, the first documented claim linking Ksar Ouled Soltane to Episode I surfaced, attributed to Frenchman Philip Vanni, the original Tunisia Star Wars film site explorer/preservationist. Lionel Noetzlin, a Swiss associate of Vanni and early Tunisia Star Wars film site explorer in his own right, declared on 15 March 1999 the birth of “another geografic [sic] SW site” by relaying “confirmation” from Vanni that Ksar Ouled Soltane was used for Episode I Mos Espa slave quarters footage in the summer of 1998. Noetzlin proposed that Ksar Ouled Soltane footage was incorporated into the film to add variety to the slave quarters sequences. 

Although the rumored connection to Episode II eventually (and accurately) faded over time, the initial rumor linking Ksar Ouled Soltane to Episode I continues to be circulated, despite the fact that the veracity of the location as a Star Wars film site was questioned from the start. For example, Jeremy Beckett, longtime British Star Wars insider and founder of the Tataouine Tours business venture (2001-2005), raised doubts about Ksar Ouled Soltane in his extensive travel log compiled from his first excursion to Tunisia in November 1999. Beckett, who collaborated closely with Noetzlin both before and after his trip, indicated that he found no evidence of Star Wars set dressings at Ksar Ouled Soltane from the “second stage of photography” when “Lucasfilm re-visited Tunisia” and observed that “only local information sources have ever claimed this to have been an actual Star Wars location.” Assuming (at least initially) the legitimacy of the local claim, Beckett, as outlined in his comprehensive trip report and subsequent publication Tataouine Tours: On Location (2000), was the first to postulate that the stacked ghorfas located in the northwest corner of the original courtyard at the site appear in Episode I for “milliseconds” as part of the “background skyline” above Mos Espa in scene 82 [The pod rises, the engines ignite] (see below).

Conversely, less than two years later, Beckett posted an itinerary (dated  2 June 2001) for a proposed early October 2001 group trip back to Tunisia in which he clearly identified Ksar Ouled Soltane as a “non-Star Wars location.” Separately, Belgian Mark Dermul, who first visited Tunisia in April-May 2001 and later functioned as group lead for the fan-funded Save Lars project to restore the Lars Homestead dome on Chott el-Djerid (28-31 May 2012), firmly labeled the assertion connecting Episode I “Mos Espa backdrops” filming at Ksar Ouled Soltane as mere “legend.”

SHOOTING SCHEDULE

The unquenchable hype in the late 1990s tied to every aspect of the Star Wars prequels consumed the content-starved global fanbase loyal to George Lucas’ fictional universe. The decision to return to Tunisia—the original real-world Tatooine setting—after more than 21 years for Episode I principal photography amplified this nostalgic enthusiasm for the prequels beyond all conceivable expectations. Lucasfilm, collaborating exclusively with CTV Services (Tunisia) to execute the multi-week location shoot in southern Tunisia, enforced strict policies in an attempt to prevent leaked Episode I production details. Access to the shooting schedule, in particular, was overtly limited.

Author Marcus Hearn was granted unprecedented access to Lucasfilm archives in the early 2000s to produce the comprehensive work titled The Cinema of George Lucas (2005). This expansive bibliography contains the only authorized publication of the Episode I shooting schedule, derived entirely from primary source material (production notes, progress reports, and call sheets). Although Hearn did not list all scenes for each day of production in England, Italy, and Tunisia, the shooting schedule he pieced together does label all filming locations in detail. In regard to Tunisia, Hearn’s shooting schedule identifies 1st unit filming in (1) the desert landscape north of Nefta (Eriguet dunes and Ong Jemel outcrop) from 28 July-7 August 1997, (2) Ksar Ommarsia (Médenine city) on 9 August 1997, and (3) Hotel Ksar Hadada (Ksar Hadada) on 10 August 1997. No reference to Ksar Ouled Soltane is made.

CTV Services, headed by Abdelaziz Ben Mlouka, facilitated all Episode I production-related legal, construction, logistical, and travel requirements in Tunisia. Tunisian director/producer Moslah Kraïem, functioning as Location Manager for CTV Services during Episode I filming, played a key role in the process of securing access to and managing on-the-ground activities at the multiple Tunisian sites used for the film. In personal correspondence with Galaxy Tours on 7 April 2020, Kraïem, recounting first-hand knowledge of the principal photography shooting schedule, outlined the list of Episode I Tunisian film sites and stressed the following: “We have never shot in Ksar Ouled Soltane.”

TUNISIA RESHOOT 

The emergence of the World Wide Web as a universal communications medium fueled the large-scale spread of Episode I news among eager Star Wars fans. Although mostly verifiable, some aspects of the circulated reporting proved to be inaccurate (due primarily to both the fluid and secretive nature in which Episode I production was conducted). The case of the rumored 1998 Tunisia reshoot is a prime example.

TheForce.net first disclosed on 28 December 1997—roughly three months after the close of production—reports of a potential return to Tunisia in mid-January 1998 to film Episode I footage involving Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi). The source known as True Fan explained on 8 January 1998 the primary reason for this tentative trip was to film “about 80% reshoots” involving McGregor as well as potentially Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jinn) and Natalie Portman (Padmé Amidala Naberrie). McGregor reportedly suffered from tonsillitis during production in Tunisia, making him look ill in many of the dailies and prompting the need to reshoot various Tatooine exterior scenes. TheForce.net, citing an “extremely reliable source,” reported on 15 January 1998 that Episode I reshoots in Tunisia were slated to start on 19 January 1998 and scheduled to last for at least one week. Unspecified “informants” confirmed more than three weeks later on 8 February 1998 that the planned Tunisia reshoot had been postponed reportedly on account of another round of tonsillitis suffered by McGregor.

Cinescape magazine disseminated on 12 March 1998 information claiming that the Episode I Tunisia reshoot might take place in April or May 1998. This report, issued less than a week after the close of the second round of post-production pick-ups at Leavesden Studios (Watford, England) from 2-7 March 1998, marked the last reference to any reshoot rumors linked to Tunisia. All Episode I reshoot news moving forward focused on Leavesden Studios activity. Insider sources named the Bothan Spy and Lonely Little Gungan documented the remaining post-production footage filmed at the studio on 10-14 August 1998 and 20 March 1999.

Facts external to the Star Wars franchise suggest that the timeline for a 1998 Tunisia reshoot was highly improbable. McGregor had limited availability during this period due to filming commitments in the lead role as Nick Leeson for James Dearden’s Rogue Trader, released on 25 June 1999. Moreover, Portman was fully occupied with her debut lead role (as Anne Frank) in the Broadway dramatization of The Diary of Anne Frank (4 December 1997-14 June 1998). Portman completed over 200 performances, ending her run on 31 May 1998, two weeks before the production came to a close.

The totality of the evidence proves that no additional Episode I filming took place in Tunisia following the departure of the Lucasfilm 2nd unit from Tozeur on 16 August 1997. McGregor’s Tatooine exterior scenes requiring new or altered footage were filmed during the 10-14 August 1998 pick-ups at Leavesden Studios. Some screenplay set changes were made in the revised fourth draft (10 August 1998) to facilitate this studio reshoot, which replaced the unusable portions of McGregor’s Tunisia footage filmed just over one year prior in the Eriguet dunes north of Nefta. Laurent Bouzereau and Jody Duncan, co-authors of the Lucasfilm-authorized Star Wars: The Making of Episode I, The Phantom Menace (1999), do not make a single reference to any reshoot activity in Tunisia, which is strikingly significant in light of the context outlined above. It is clear that the rumored 1998 Tunisia reshoot—even if initially planned—never became reality.

COMPOSITED KSAR ARCHITECTURE

There are a total of five Episode I scenes with composited ksar architecture infused into the Mos Espa cityscape background. Three of the scenes appear in the final cut; the other two represent deleted footage. Ksar Ommarsia composited images are visible in all three final cut scenes and one of the deleted scenes. Ksar Hadada composited images appear in the other deleted scene. None of the scenes contain any Ksar Ouled Soltane footage. This analysis concludes that Lucasfilm streamlined post-production efforts for layered ksar architecture Mos Espa background sequences by recycling footage exclusively from Ksar Ommarsia and Ksar Hadada, the two Tunisian ksour utilized during principal photography.

Sequence #1
Scene: 82 [The pod rises, the engines ignite]
Set: Mos Espa | slave quarters backyards | courtyard
Scene film site: Eriguet dunes (yardang field) | Mos Espa set (buried) | courtyard
Composited footage: Ksar Ommarsia (northwest + northeast + southeast walls)
Status: final cut

Sequence #2
Scene: 85 [Padmé exits hovel at sunrise]
Set: Mos Espa | slave quarters backyards | porch
Scene film site: Ksar Hadada (northwest corner)
Composited footage: Ksar Hadada (northwest corner)
Status: deleted

Sequence #3
Scene: 88 [Probe droid searches]
Set: Mos Espa | marketplace | street
Scene film site: Eriguest dunes | Mos Espa set (northwest section)
Composited footage: Ksar Ommarsia (northwest + northeast + southeast walls)
Status: final cut

Sequence #4
Scene: 104 [Anakin fights with Greedo]
Set: Mos Espa | slave quarters street
Scene film site: Ksar Ommarsia | courtyard (southwest corner)
Composited footage: Ksar Ommarsia (southeast wall)
Digital addition: Ksar-inspired CGI ghorfa wall (x1)
Status: deleted

Sequence #5
Scene: 107 [Anakin leaves Shmi and does not look back]
Set: Mos Espa | slave quarters street | Anakin’s hovel (exterior)
Scene film site: Ksar Ommarsia | courtyard (northeast corner)
Composited footage: Ksar Ommarsia (southeast wall)
Status: final cut

CONCLUSION

All legends contain at least a kernel of truth. The genesis of the decades-old claim identifying Ksar Ouled Soltane as a Star Wars film site likely stems from the Episode I recce to Tunisia, led by Rick McCallum (producer), in early/mid-December 1995. The recce explored a string of locations across the diverse topography of southern Tunisia, focusing on the best-preserved, well-established, and visually dynamic Tunisian sites. Tataouine Governorate localities, particularly multiple ancient ksour, were highlighted during the tour. It is very likely that the Lucasfilm team visited Ksar Ouled Soltane, one of the most famous Tunisian ksour. As the global hype for the prequels continued to grow in the late 1990s, Tunisian tour operators, reacting to the popularity of the nascent Star Wars tourism industry, likely construed the probable December 1995 Lucasfilm visit (or that of a possible subsequent pre-production recce) to Ksar Ouled Soltane as presumed evidence of filming activity to promulgate the claim that led to the inclusion of the ksar on the coveted list of Star Wars film sites in Tunisia.

Authoritative sources confirm that the Episode I principal photography shooting schedule in Tunisia did not include Ksar Ouled Soltane. A body of evidence substantiates that the 1998 Tunisia reshoot, despite well-circulated rumors, did not take place. Analysis of the Episode I scenes with composited ksar architecture in the background proves that no Ksar Ouled Soltane footage was used in the Mos Espa cityscape. The inaccuracy of the locally generated claim linking Ksar Ouled Soltane to Star Wars franchise filming does not in any way diminish the historical, cultural, or touristic value of the ksar. No trip to southern Tunisia should be considered complete without plans to spend several relaxing hours in the blissful, sun-soaked isolation offered by the site. Ksar Ouled Soltane is unquestionably a must-see destination and most likely a Star Wars recce site, but a Star Wars film site it is not.

POSTSCRIPT ANECDOTE 

TheForce.net posted on 9 July 2001 a perfectly suited prequels-era anecdote shared by Beckett that exemplifies the crux of the conclusion mapped out above. The narrative recounts the experience of an unnamed Star Wars fan who had just returned from Tunisia. A “well respected local guide from Tozeur” had informed the fan during his travels that Lucasfilm had visited Ksar Ouled Soltane during Episode II production in September 2000 and that the entire ksar was still “decked out in decorations for the filming.” The claim made by the Tozeur tour guide was blatantly false. The four-day Episode II production schedule (7, 9-11 September 2000) in Tunisia was much more compact than the Episode I schedule. Filming took place at only three locations: Lars Homestead exterior set (Chott el-Djerid), Mos Espa large set (Eriguet dunes), and Hotel Sidi Idriss (Matmata al-Qadimal). No filming at Ksar Ouled Soltane was conducted, nor was it even considered given the fact that Episode II does not contain any slave quarters or slum dwelling sequences at Mos Espa or anywhere else on fictional Tatooine. Although this anecdote involves Episode II misinformation, it provides a tailored snapshot into a common trend within the Tunisian tourism sector to actively promote the perceived Star Wars connection to Ksar Ouled Soltane as a means to enhance the overall profile and touristic appeal of the site. 

CONCLUSION CORROBORATION 

In personal correspondence with Galaxy Tours in mid-February 2021, Vanni provided a contextual silver bullet to disprove all rumors regarding Ksar Ouled Soltane. Vanni revealed that he had met with McCallum along with members of the Episode I pre-production crew in 1996 at Hotel Sidi Idriss. McCallum reportedly disclosed during this meeting that Ksar Ouled Soltane was being considered as a potential Episode I film site due to its size, well-preserved condition, and remote setting (which meant a reduced number of tourists). Vanni surmised that perhaps McCallum opted to spread this observation about Ksar Ouled Soltane as a calculated move to “send people [to the] wrong places.” Vanni, who made two trips to Tunisia in 1997 (the second of which lasted 3 months and included direct interaction with Episode I production), confirmed that Episode I crews did not use Ksar Ouled Soltane for filming, preferring instead the more readily accessible Ksar Ommarsia. He also dispelled rumors regarding the 1998 Tunisia reshoot, verifying that he never heard any mention of the reshoots at any point during his two trips to Tunisia in 1998, which focused heavily on purchasing Episode I set dressings and props directly at the film sites. Vanni clarified that Noetzlin had seemingly (and unintentionally) misunderstood this aspect of their March 1999 conversation. In short, Vanni—attributed as the initial source of the claim by Noetzlin—never identified Ksar Ouled Soltane as a Star Wars film site.