Hey Star Wars fans: Every wondered whether – deep down – you would be an Ewok or Wookie? Hutt or Jedi? Those are the kinds of questions an ingenious Canadian exhibition aims to answer by empowering visitors to build their own customized Star Wars alter-egos by undergoing a fantasy 10-part psych evaluation.
As detailed in the clip embedded below, here's how Star Wars Identities works: Visitors to the Telus World of Science in Edmonton, Canada proceed through a series of interrogation stations to answer multiple-choice questions about species, genes, parents, culture, mentors, friends, events, occupation, personality and values.
Guests can tell the earth-bound truth or make stuff up, says Sophie Desbiens of X3 Productions , which designed the exhibit in partnership with LucasFilm Ltd. And Montreal Science Centre. "It's very weird because the adults always choose reality–'How were my parents?'–and the kids, they always choose whatever they want."
The wild card comes in the form of randomly assigned "marked events." "For example," says Desbiens, " Your marking event might be 'Oh, I was chained to Jabba the Hut for a year' and stuff like that. Just like in life, you don't get to choose everything that happens to you."
Responses are relayed via RFID bracelet to a database. The results get configured as a final hybrid character that pops up on a video screen in the "reveal" chamber. "People trip out when they see who they are," says Communications Project Manager Desbiens.
The museum's make-your-own Star Wars project ties in with Identities main theme, which explores the radically divergent journeys of Luke and Anakin Skywalker.
Check the gallery above for an example of a user-generated character portrait plus exhibition graphics featuring iconic Star Wars characters. Fair warning: "There are many easter eggs to be found in these images," says Sophie.
Images courtesy Star Wars Identities
