Ouarzazate is Morocco's
Hollywood, and the industry can regularly be found setting up shop in
this sprawling desert crossroads with wide, palm-fringed boulevards.
Brad Pitt, Penélope Cruz, Angelina Jolie, Samuel L. Jackson, Cate
Blanchett, and many more have graced the suites and streets. Despite the
Tinseltown vibe and huge, publicly accessible film sets, Ouarzazate
remains at its heart a dusty ghost town. Its main recommendation is the
dramatic surrounding terrain that makes it a mainstay for filmmakers:
the red-glowing kasbah at Aït Ben Haddou; the snow-capped High Atlas and
the Sahara, with tremendous canyons, gorges, and lunar-like steppes in
between.
Ouarzazate, which means
"no noise" in the Berber Tamazigh language, was once a very quiet place.
An isolated military outpost during the years of the French
protectorate, it now benefits from increased tourism and economic
development thanks to the Moroccan film industry. The movie business
provides casual work for almost half of the local population and there
is now a film school providing training in the cinema arts for Moroccan
and international students. But the town retains its laid-back
atmosphere, making it a great place to sit at a sidewalk café, sip a
café noir, and spot visiting celebrities.
No comments:
Post a Comment