Insights from the Cinematic World: Morocco

Desierto

What begins as a hopeful journey to seek a better life becomes a harrowing and primal fight for survival when a deranged, rifle-toting vigilante targets a group of unarmed men and women through the treacherous U.S.-Mexican border.

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On location during the five-­week shoot, García’s key ally proved to be director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki. The Mexican cinematographer, nicknamed “Chivo,” earned Academy Awards for Birdman and Gravity, Because of Last Days in the Desert’s modest budget, Lubezki suggested using natural light whenever possible.

Last Days in the Desert

Ewan McGregor is Jesus—and the Devil—in an imagined chapter from his 40 days of fasting and praying in the desert. On his way out of the wilderness, Jesus struggles with the Devil over the fate of a family in crisis, setting for himself a dramatic test.

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Les droits de diffusion du film ont été achetés par une cinquantaine de pays. La plupart des sorties nationales se sont déroulées entre novembre 2010 et mars 2011

Of Gods and Men

Of Gods and Men is a French drama film directed by Xavier Beauvois, starring Lambert Wilson and Michael Lonsdale. Its original French title is Des hommes et des dieux, which means “Men and gods” and refers to a motto from the Bible shown at the beginning of the film. It centers on the monastery of Tibhirine, where Trappist monks lived in harmony with the largely Muslim population of Algeria, until seven of them were beheaded in a still unclear incident in 1996. The screenplay focuses on the time leading up to their death. Principal photography took place at an abandoned monastery in Morocco, with careful attention to authenticity.

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