It has been said that Morocco is just a “very large movie set” for Hollywood – doubling for Arabia in Lawrence of Arabia,” Abu Dhabi in “Sex in the City 2,” Egypt for “Evil Mummy” and for fantasy locations in “Game of Thrones.” PRI asks the question: when is Morocco going to be portrayed in film for being, well, Morocco?
Othman Naciri, a Moroccan filmmaker, explains Hollywood’s rationale for using Morocco, “it’s cheaper to shoot there than the Arizona desert and it’s safer to shoot there than the real Iraq so that’s the best compromise.”
Morocco produces about 25 feature films per year. Directed by Morocco-based Oliver Laxe, “Mimosas” won the Nespresso Grand Prize at this year’s Cannes Critics’ Week.
Filmmaker Othman Naciri is all about his home-country. “[I’m] now preparing my second feature film about women’s emancipation in Morocco during the ’50s,” he says. “This is really important to look at our history.”
