25 May 2012 Last updated at 11:26

In pictures: the secret links between Star Wars and Wales

Harrison Ford as Han Solo in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Star Wars, the first film in George Lucas's sci-fi saga, opened in United States cinemas on 25 May 1977. To celebrate its 35th anniversary we've uncovered some lesser-known links between the film franchise and Wales, plus some rare behind-the-scenes photos (image © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved)

Full-scale model of the Millennium Falcon

Han Solo's spaceship, the Millennium Falcon, was hired by Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Episode IV. For the follow-up, 1980's The Empire Strikes Back, the only full-scale model was built in Pembroke Dock (image © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved)

The model Millennium Falcon was built over three months in early 1979 by a Pembroke Dock company, Marcon Fabrications. The construction was a closely guarded secret which the company referred to using the codename 'Magic Roundabout' (image © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved)

Weighing 23 tons and 70 feet in diameter, the full-scale Millennium Falcon was constructed in a giant aircraft hangar out of wood and a steel frame. It was then dismantled and transported in sections to Elstree Studios for filming (image © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved)

Production shot from Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi

Richard Marquand was the Cardiff-born director of 1983's Return Of The Jedi. He's pictured here in the centre, next to the film's executive producer George Lucas, above a model of Jabba the Hutt's Sail Barge (image © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved)

Richard Marquand and Harrison Ford on the set of Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi

Richard Marquand was the only British person to direct a Star Wars film. Here he is on the set of Return Of The Jedi talking to Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo in the original trilogy (image © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved)

Richard Marquand in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi

As well as directing Return Of The Jedi, Welshman Richard Marquand also appeared as an AT-ST pilot, and voiced the character of EV-9D9, a droid in Jabba the Hutt's palace (image © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved)

Watto in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

The computer-generated slave owner Watto, in The Phantom Menace and Attack Of The Clones, was voiced by Andy Secombe, the son of Welsh comedian and singer Harry Secombe (image © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved)

Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd and Andy Secombe in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Andy Secombe, pictured here with Natalie Portman and Jake Lloyd in a Phantom Menace production shot, also did voiceover work for the 2004 video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (image © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved)

The Church of Jediism was founded in 2007 by Daniel M Jones on Anglesey, north Wales. The organisation now has over 20,000 members across the globe. Pictured is council member Chi-Pa Amshe, otherwise known as Patrick Day-Childs (image: Church of Jediism)

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In pictures: the secret links between Star Wars and Wales

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