Our day started with a visit to Ouarzazywood, Morocco's answer to Hollywood. A brief list from Wikipedia:
They have been filming in Morocco since the 1930's Indeed, Russell Crowe is returning in a couple of months for another film. Although not Universal Studios, it was a fun tour to look behind the scenes and learn how they create and recreate scenes for the movies. In the distance was a huge, complete castle/fort we couldn't visit. Producers like Morocco because it is cheaper to film here. Morocco like the producers because it keeps a large part of the local town working as set builders and extras. A win-win.
Next is the World Heritage Site of Ksar ait Ben Haddou. Another incredible site to to walk through. Our guide and family actually live in the town and invited us into his home. Only eight families live in Ksar.
We continued thru the High Atlas Mountains. The other day were just in the Atlas Mountains. These were spectacular. Reminded us of the highest peaks in Montana.
- 2010: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, directed by Mike Newell
- 2010: Sex and the City 2, directed by Michael Patrick King
- 2011: Captain Phillips, directed by Paul Greengrass
- 2011: Hanna, directed by Joe Wright
- 2013: The Bible, produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett
- 2014: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, directed by Christopher McQuarrie
- 2014: Son of God, produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett
- 2015: A.D.: The Bible Continues, produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, starring Juan Pablo di Pace, Babou Ceesay, Richard Coyle and Vincent Regan
- 2015: American Sniper, directed by Clint Eastwood
- 2015: Spectre, directed by Sam Mendes
They have been filming in Morocco since the 1930's Indeed, Russell Crowe is returning in a couple of months for another film. Although not Universal Studios, it was a fun tour to look behind the scenes and learn how they create and recreate scenes for the movies. In the distance was a huge, complete castle/fort we couldn't visit. Producers like Morocco because it is cheaper to film here. Morocco like the producers because it keeps a large part of the local town working as set builders and extras. A win-win.
Our guide told us that with 30 extras and a little computer technology, you can
turn this scene into a set that holds a thousand people!
This outdoor set is being rehabbed. New coat of paint for the sphinxes. The background is a bit trashed. Shooting in Morocco is great since it rarely rains. However, when it does, ANY rain is a bit hard on the plaster, plywood and styrofoam sets.
We walked through the town all the way to the top lookout. Again, this was build a thousand years ago. BTW, the first gladiator scene in "The Gladiator" was filmed just in front of Ksar. Many postcards posted everywhere of the movie.
Don't ever, ever complain that your work is too hard. These two gals were hauling corn stalks up the road. They had already walked a long ways and they had a long way to go still.
We see these livestock trucks frequently. Cows are below and an assortment of animals and freight up above. Redefining "dog-pile": the driver stopped, hopped up on top and 'resorted' all his goats. They were all piled up and on top of each other. He picked them up and got them in order, kinda like organizing sliced bread, thus sorting out the "goat-pile".
Finally, a rarity. Few, really no, women in Morocco like their pictures taken. A real cultural thing I guess. These gals however, when asked, said no problem! The one in the middle spoke flawless English, plus, she said, Arabic, French, Spanish, German and Japanese!
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