Posted by
bouasria abderrahim October 6, 2010 -
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Morocco has attracted a big number of foreign film producers.
Morocco has attracted a big number of foreign film producers.
As a result of the geographic locations and the variety of civilisations, the moroccan population is an unusually colourful and culturally diverse mixture of people.
MARITIME COAST
Morocco is also 3500 km of a variety of locations in the maritimes coasts between the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Centuries ago, when the Phoenician, Carthaginian, Roman and Portuguese ships crossed the seas to the shores of Morocco, they were irresistibly drawn to the white sands and the harbour of Essaouira, city to find everything a sailor or an emperor could dream of.
A fortified town with an extraordinary mixture of architectural styles, an ocean that is a paradise.
For filming, unspoilt creeks, abundant sunshine tempered by a light breeze, Essaouira is a majestic "castle of the sea", still protected by canons dating back to the 17th century, was chosen by Orson Wells as the location for the outside shots of his film "Othello".
The streets lined with white houses all with blue shutters is an extraordinary sight.
At the cross-roads of Europe and Africa, of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Tangier opens the door onto Morocco.
There is still an air of mystery about this city, going back to the time where Tangier was an international zone. With all style of architecture: French, English, Italian, Spanish…"Tangier the White", the star of many films, the city of many locations, the city you fall in love with. No African city is closer to Europe, no other Orient is more dearly loved by European or American artist-painters, musicians or authors.
De Lacroix, Saint-Sains, Matisse, Van Dongen, Tenesse Williams, Jean Genet, Joseph Kessel, William Burroughs and Paul Bowles, to name but a few, have all live in Tangier, and been captivated by its spell. In Tangier, everything begins with the sea and everything leads back to the sea.
DESERT-MOUNTAIN
Filming the word in Morocco is all through the extensively and mountainous rocky and stony desert, and the succession of hilly golden sand dunes reaching beyond the horizon, shifting sculpture, changing colours, sand dunes piled up by the wind, as tall as hill. Fascinating, grandiose and unlimited, this is the endlessly renewed
desert where sand, wind and sun come together to produce nothing but infinity. No one ever regretted getting up at 3 a.m., sipping mint tea and watching the pink disc of the sun appearing over the gigantic dunes. The deep south holds a wealth of such majestic moments.
It is an unrivalled abstract setting of picturesque earthen castles. The fairy tale citadels or the unique beauty of fortified villages and ruins walls, colouring naturally reddish, ochre, yellowish…
Oasis of palmgroves, and rose gardens, nomads, camels, horses and goats…The landscape is a succession of vivid contrasts, burning sand and snow covered mountain tops, with the sunny skies of the desert.
As eternal as the snows on the highest peaks, as impressive as the Atlas mountains, the landscape is reminiscent of American’s canyons. Magnificent gorges and cliffs, villages in the green valleys, the cedar forest, the lakes…
At an altitude of "5 400 feet" in the Middle Atlas, the city of Ifrane is delightful with its pink-tiled houses and little gardens. Every detail has been taken care of to enable visitors. It is to remind the towns in Switzerland.
CITIES
Many of Moroccan cities stand under the same sun. They are built on the same earth.
They are neither different nor identical. Rabat, Meknes, Fes, Marrakech: four Imperial Cities. Four cities without parallel. Four dazzling cities. They were built to dazzle. Conceived as capitals, each one outshines the splendour of the others. They have preserved their identity through architecture with walled cities, life style and atmosphere. Nevertheless, the life-styles have changed with the times. There is a very strong tradition of high quality craftwork in all the Imperial Cities.
Everything is worth seeing: the cold impersonal beauty of palaces with fountain playing in the forecourt, with its garden filled with the fragrance of jasmine and orange flower, bougainvillaea, palm, banana trees, and amazing cacti with natural colours.
Dating back to pre-Roman time, Volubilis became one of the capitals of 1st century Mauritania, with magnificent Roman ruins, A Forum, Capitol, Basilica market, Triumphal Arch, Oil Presses, etc…
The inhabitants led a life of luxury.
Morocco has many modern cities with European style. Diverse European civilisations such as the French, has dominated the country.
Casablanca is propelling Morocco towards the future with energy. Architects began designing this model city in 1912, bringing a visionary charm to this modern metropolis and organising its phenomenal development so that today, it is the largest major city in Northern Africa and stunning for its architectural beauty with elegant building of Art deco and Neo Moorish styles, featuring cupolas, belvederes, columns, cedarwood balconies and turrets.
MOROCCO CREDIT FILMS
Americans and Europeans have shot a considerable number of films in Morocco, among which famous ones have known a worldwide succes, the list below contains the last 3 years movies realised in Morocco :
YEAR 2000
TITLE PRODUCTION FIRM
A SONG FOR MARTIN Moonlight Film Production (Danemark)
ANNA Per Host Films (Danemark)
ASTERIX ET OBELIX MISSION CLEOPATRE Rein Production (France)
FRONTIERES Vertigo Production (France)
IN THE BEGINNING NGP Holding Inc (USA)
L'ALGERIE DES CHIMERES Gaumont Television (France)
LA GRANDE DECISION Saga Films (Belgium)
LA TERRE D'OUTREMER Delroy & Andromeda (Italy)
LE CAFE DE LA PLAGE Les Films du Requin (France)
LE DESIR D'ETRE PEAU ROUGE Creaccion Films (Spain)
LEILA LA PURE Angel Arena (Danemark)
GUIDA&TOMASO Andromeda (Italy)
MALENNA Pacific Pictures (Italy)
THE MUMMY II Imhotep Productions (USA)
PAOLO DI TARSO Delroy Ltd (Italy)
TERMINUS DES ANGES UGC Images (France)
THE FOUR FEATHERS Belhaven Ltd / Marimax (USA)
THE VISUAL BIBLE Visual Productions (Canada)
UN ALLER SIMPLE Cinevalse (France)
YEAR 1999
TITLE PRODUCTION FIRM
GLADIATOR Dreamwork (USA)
SHAKA ZULU Global Entertainement (Holland)
TANKER Novafilm Ferenseh Produktion (Germany)
LAST MINUTE KASBAH Team Worx (Germany)
SANS LIMITE Studija Kinema (Latvia)
LA-BAS Alexandre Films (France)
JESUS Ego Productions (France)
ZAÏA "THE MILK OF TRIAL" The Valley Train Production (Israel)
JESUS IN THE SHADOW OF THE WORLD Andromeda (Italy)
VOLLGAZ Colonia Media (Germany)
ARABIAN NIGHTS Thistle Management LGC (Turkey)
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT Paramount Pictures (USA)
OPERATION PANDORA Calypso Films Production (Germany)
LE HAREM DE MME OSMAN Bloody Mary Production (France)
WIVES AND DAUGHTERS BBC (UK)
DETENUS AU YEMEN HDTV Entertainement (Germany)
JOSEPHE Andromeda (Italy)
KASBAH Tornasol (Spain)
MARIE-MAGDALENE Andromeda (Italy)
YEAR 1998
TITLE PRODUCTION FIRM
JEREMIAH Aster (Italy)
THE MUMMY Universal Studios (USA)
RENDEZ-VOUS A SAMARKAND Samarkand Pictures (USA)
THE SEVENTH SCROLL Eurolux (Italy)
LE TEMPS DE L'AMOUR 3° Cinemato-Grafica (Italy)
ESTER Aster (Italy)
LE PRINCE ARABE Polyphon Film (Germany)
FURIA Alexandre Films (France)
L'ECOLE DE LA CHAIR Orsans Production (France)
SAID CPI (Spain)
TEMPS DE DETTES Eydelles Films (Tcheq Republic)
CLEOPATRE Alexandria Films (UK)
