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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-28/mark-hamill-voices-ukraine-air-raid-alerts-mobile-app-missiles/102156322>
'"Attention. Air raid alert," the voice says with a Jedi knight's gravitas.
"Proceed to the nearest shelter."
It's a surreal moment in an already surreal war: the grave but calming baritone
of actor Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker of
Star Wars, urging people to take
cover whenever Russia unleashes another aerial bombardment on Ukraine.
The intrusion of Hollywood science-fiction fantasy into the grim daily
realities of war in Ukraine is a consequence of Hamill's decision to lend his
famous voice to "Air Alert" — a downloadable app linked to Ukraine's air
defence system.
When air raid sirens start howling, the app also warns Ukrainians that Russian
missiles, bombs and deadly exploding drones may be incoming.
"Don't be careless," Hamill's voice advises. "Your overconfidence is your
weakness."
The actor says he has admired — from afar, in California — how Ukraine has
"shown such resilience … under such terrible circumstances".
Its fight against the Russian invasion, now in its second year, reminds him of
the Star Wars saga, he says — of plucky rebels battling and ultimately
defeating a vast, murderous empire.
Voicing over the English-language version of the air-raid app and giving it his
Star Wars touch was his way of helping out.'
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
