A VIEW OF VARYKINO

By Scott Weller and Linda Pellerito

Our good friend Linda Pellerito, a devoted STAR WARS fan (especially of the Prequels and the story of the fall of Anakin Skywalker), got in touch with me a while back (sorry for the delay, Linda) with some great information regarding ATTACK OF THE CLONES. On a trip to Italy to discover and enjoy some of the many incredibly beautiful locations used in the Prequels, especially for EPISODE II (check out her terrific feature, A TRIP TO NABOO, in our EXCLUSIVE FEATURES area: http://www.starwarsaficionado.com/page/page/5681856.htm), Linda had the great opportunity to meet and strike up a good friendship with a lady named Gigliola Foglia, who was one of the main professional location guides for George Lucas and his cast and filming crew in 2000 whilst they were at the Lake Como site for Naboo sequences set at the Varykino safe house.

Linda and Gigliola have very kindly provided this information with regards to the film’s shooting timetable that I think everybody will find interesting (including some cut scene info, too!!)

Here’s the schedule:

28/8/00 - Monday - arrival and set up

29/8/00 - Tuesday plate photography and Natalie Portman takes a swim in Lake Como and develops severe earaches/ becomes quite ill.

30/8/00 -Wednesday-total washout/pouring rain-Natalie very sick.

31/8/00 - Thursday - raining in the a.m. - 1st thing shot = departure from Naboo / gondola by the steps (cut scene, with Paddy Acu in the speeder boat) 2nd then to the Villa - where the awakening from the nightmare scene is shot - 3rd - it is now becoming sunny and the wedding scene is shot - and - I kid you not, a real rainbow appears during the shoot.

01/09/00 - Friday - the "I hate sand" scene filmed in the late morning - at 3:00 - arrival of gondola to the villa with Anakin assisting Padmé out of the gondola (Paddy Acu returns!!) - at 4:00 the scene of Anakin walking/talking to Padmé's father is shot - this is observed by Padmé and her sister from inside a window of the dining room (and their reaction was shot in Sydney, a world away). And finally - at 5:00, inside Padmé's bedroom (another cut scene as seen on the EPISODE II DVD).

02/09/00 -Saturday - the picnic/meadow scene - and these are Gigliola's words: the picnic scene was the last one to be filmed here, on Saturday 2nd Sept: they finished at 4.30 p.m. and Mr. Lucas ' helper announced in italian "Abbiamo finito!" (we're finished!).

Special thanks to Linda and Gigliola for the info. If you are interested in touring the Lake Como sites, then head to this site for more info: www.padawansguide.com/tourguide.shtml