Director
George Lucas was deeply influenced by Canadian documentaries, including the highly experimental
2-1-87. When Lucas was studying film at
USC, both
docu-realist and
avant-garde works were focused on and taught to students. One of his student films,
The Emperor, was shot in the style of a documentary, but was also experimental (for example, the credits were placed about two-thirds of the way into the film). Also, Lucas was a cameraman for
Gimme Shelter, a documentary on the
Rolling Stones.
Specifically, in A New Hope, the Battle of Yavin (aka the battle against the first Death Star) is shot based on footage of dogfights from World War II and the final scene (the presentation of the medals) is modelled after Triumph of the Will.