"The Cinema Industry in Ouarzazate" by Abdeslam Outaleb
The Hollywood of Africa: this is the name used by the press to describe the city of Ouarzazate because of its role as the filming location for many producers and managers. Ouarzazate is a Moroccan city in the southeast with beautiful and diverse scenery. Behind its initial calmness hides a bustling film industry. In various spots, especially in the city's outskirts, there is a lot of commotion emanating from the making of a movie that will end up winning an Oscar. In this piece, I will take you on a journey through the city of Ouarzazate’s film industry. All the places I mention here are open to the public, with some small fees.
Our journey starts at CLA Studios and Atlas Studios, which you can see on your left if you come to Ouarzazate from Marrakech or Agadir. A visit to these two studios will cost you less than 9 USD. You will have the chance to have a guide inside the studio if you choose to. Because both studios are very big, I recommend having a guide to provide information and answer any questions you may have.
They always have a room at each of these places where they present exhibitions of movies that were partially or entirely filmed there. You will see amazing buildings and movie sets that were used in the filming of many movies in CLA studios. It also includes sets for both the mosques of Jerusalem and Mecca. You will also see many types of statues, cottages, and buildings that represent different time periods and cultures. The hallways of antique Egyptian castles, the Buddha's temple, and many other Egyptian, Chinese, and Moroccan decorations are among the amazing sets found in Atlas Studios.
In this studio, they still have movie sets that were used for the well-known series Game of Thrones. You will meet Spirit, one of the horses who participated in the series’ production. One of the insights I gained from a guide was that all of the horses have specialties; they've been trained in various moves that will serve the film producers' needs. For example, there are horses that are specialized in overturning the wagon, while others are trained to slip on the ground at the battle as if they have been shot.
You'll be able to see the set decorations from at least four movies you've seen, and you might even be surprised to learn that several of these films were entirely filmed in Ouarzazate. Personally, I was shocked to learn that The Way Back was filmed in my city, and asked the guide "where did they get the snow scenes that were in the movie?" He said they filmed them in Tichka, which is a mountainous region located between Ouarzazate and Marrakech. However, this is one of the city's best features; it offers unique landscapes nearby one another, including desolate places, mountains, forests, and a variety of climates.
People get confused if you post images of yourself in Atlas Studios on social media and say it's Morocco. Some of the sets look similar to what exists in different parts of the world. When I shared a photo on Instagram claiming that this is my city, my friends could not believe it. They thought it was Egypt, but it was in Ouarzazate. You might even be confused while seeing the images in this blog post... I can assure you this is Ouarzazate, Morocco!
You can visit both the Cinema Museum and the Qasbat Tawrirt, as they are found close to each other in the center of the city. Qasbat Tawrirt is a 17th-century building in which people used to live, and several movies have been shot there. In front of the Qasba, you’ll spot the Cinema Museum of Ouarzazate. Visiting the Qasbat Tawrirt and the Cinema Museum of Ouarzazate will each cost you around 3 USD. The Qasbat Tawrirt does not have any film or cinema materials inside, but the Cinema Museum does have both old and new ones. It's worth noting that scenes have also been shot in this museum, as seen by the interior decor and the space dedicated to film exhibitions.
Our journey ends with the Qasbat Ait Ben Haddou, located 30 km outside of the city. A taxi will get you there in 20 minutes for two dollars. Entering the Qasbat Ait Ben Haddou is free, and I highly recommend a guide for this one because the road to it and the paths are very complicated. If you have taken courses in Moroccan Darija, I believe you'll be able to talk to locals, who are nice, friendly, and helpful. They can tell you about the movies filmed there as well as the history of the area.
Since I moved to Ouarzazate in 2000, a lengthy list of movies have been filmed in this amazing city. I know a lot of people who were second actors and extras in these movies. Personally, I have never participated as an extra or a second actor in any of them, but I have worked in many services related to film production, such as translation.
Here is a list of some well-known movies that were filmed partially or fully in the region of Ouarzazate:
Babel (2006)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
The Way Back (2010)
Operation Red Sea (2018)
Gladiator (2000)
Prison Break 5th Season (2017)
Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Abdeslam Outaleb is an Assistant Teacher in Education Abroad at Amideast Morocco.
