Star Wars
Earlier this year, I attended a 50th anniversary screening of “Star Wars: A New Hope” in Kuala Lumpur. The original was actually released in May 1977 (which technically made this the 49th anniversary but never mind) and I remember going to see it as a 15-year-old with my younger brother at a cinema that no longer exists.
Some may accuse me of being a “nerd” (or worse!) but what was fascinating was how many people of all ages and cultures had gathered for this event. Most, to be fair, were at least in their 20s or 30s and wouldn’t have seen the original, digitally un-enhanced version “back in the day”. What united us all was a love of this incredible “space opera”: the characters we all know and love and some of the most famous lines in sci-fi history (“I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”, “I find your lack of faith disturbing,” “That’s no moon, it’s a space station!”).
Some of the audience were in Star Wars costume (I wasn’t, although I did wear a shirt with small prints of one of the spaceships from the franchise).
The film was accompanied by live music by the Malaysia Philharmonic and from the first bars (the “20th Century Fox Fanfare”) to the final credits, all the music we knew and loved from the first film was instantly recognisable and performed flawlessly. At times one couldn’t hear the dialogue as it was drowned out by the orchestra but most of us knew those scenes well enough not to have to worry (and in any case, Malay subtitles were played underneath for those who needed to follow along!).
As we left, I looked around the audience. There were smiles, laughter, shared memories strangers chatting with strangers and general happiness on the faces of people who’d relived memories of their past and had been allowed to forget for a moment what was going on in the current galaxy…
What united us across age groups, nationalities, religions and cultures? Quite simply, an overriding bond of love of “Star Wars”; something that transcended all these boundaries and reminded us all, in the end, of our underlying humanity, sense of fun, childhood (in my case) but also our ability to get together no matter what our differences might be.
I deliver change in markets ranging from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email.
posted by William Martin @ 17:05
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