Los Angeles: "Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker" director JJ Abrams says he decided to include the first same-sex kiss in the latest release of the franchise to show that there is place for everyone in the "Star Wars" universe.
The brief "kiss" moment between two unknown female characters happened during a celebration scene towards the end of the movie.
In an interview with MovieZine, Abrams revealed the idea behind including it, reports dailymail.co.uk.
"I just felt like in this one scene of celebration, it felt like an opportunity to show -- without it being, you know, heavy-handed or making too loud of a deal -- it was sort of part of the whole experience to see a same-sex couple have a moment together that was explicitly saying in the 'Star Wars' galaxy, you know, everyone is there and is welcome," he said.
"It doesn't matter what your sexual preference is, doesn't matter what your race/species, whether you're organic or synthetic, 'Star Wars' is for everyone and knowing that there hadn't been a representation like that -- it doesn't take away from anyone, it just shows that 'Star Wars' is for all of us," he added.
Asked about his responsibility as a filmmaker to represent diversity and inclusion in his films, Abrams said: "I think it's every filmmaker's responsibility to not only represent the world as it exists as much as possible on screen, but also behind the camera."
He added that his second unit director, Victoria Mahoney, was the first African-American woman in that position in a "Star Wars" movie.
"That was as important to me as having a cast that looked like more of the world than not. I'm also really proud of, not just in front of camera, but also behind the camera, bringing in people who aren't just the usual suspects," he said.
With Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac leading the cast, "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker" wraps up the Skywalker saga that George Lucas started with "Star Wars: A New Hope" in 1977. The film opened in India on December 20.
