Why Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' is the latest major production to shoot in Morocco

Christopher Nolan arrived in Morocco in February to film The Odyssey for Universal Pictures, taking in Marrakech, Tahanaoute, El Haouz, Essaouira, Ouarzazate and Dakhla. It marked the latest high-profile production to visit the North African nation following Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II.

Hollywood has always been drawn to Morocco for its spectacular locations, which range from deserts and the Atlas mountains to the souks of Marrakech and the thronged streets of Tangier. Now, though, it has also becoming commonplace for European productions to come too, including Francois Ozon’s Albert Camus adaptation The Stranger and Oliver Laxe’s rave-themed, desert-based Sirat (produced by Spain’s El Deseo and a premiere in Competition at Cannes), which shot here last year.

Morocco is chameleon-like, too, often standing in for other countries. French director Rachel Lang’s thriller Mata and Italian Netflix-backed political thriller The Negotiator (Il Nibbio) saw Morocco double for Mali and Iraq, respectively.

One important change that has boosted the Moroccan film sector is that in 2022, the cash rebate was raised from 20% to 30% of eligible expenses — and it is not capped. To access the incentive, productions need to spend mad10m (about $1m) and stay at least 18 days in the country (this can include set building as well as shooting). Payment does not come immediately — it can take up to a year — but is reliable enough for banks to advance money against it.

The government is supportive of international production. On Sirat, the filmmakers were allowed to shoot a key scene in the desert featuring a train brought in specially alongside 400 extras. Other productions have received support from the army, including French TV drama In the Hell Of Kabul: 13 Days, 13 Nights, in which Morocco stood in for Afghanistan.

“It’s not so expensive when you compare it to Europe. That’s why more and more projects are coming to Morocco,” says local producer Saïd Hamich Benlarbi of Casablanca-based Mont Fleuri Production.

Mont Fleuri, which worked on Sirat, is one of many respected production and service companies. Other outfits that work regularly on international projects include Khadija Alami’s K Films, Marrakech-based Dune Films (whose credits include John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum), Zakaria Alaoui’s Zak Productions (which has done everything from Bernardo Bertolucci films to Marvel blockbusters and Nolan’s The Odyssey), Agora Films and Kasbah Films.

As it expands, the Moroccan film sector is benefiting from the country’s strong tourist infrastructure. Even remote parts of the country tend to have decent hotels. On Laxe’s Sirat, although the production was shot partly “in the middle of nowhere”, as Benlarbi describes it, there was still comfortable accommodation to be found in nearby Erfoud.

Meanwhile, big productions filming in Marrakech or Tangier will find plenty of top restaurants and hotels, among them the ultra-luxurious La Mamounia, one of Winston Churchill’s favourite retreats.

International producers who have worked in Morocco talk up the excellence of the local crews, but warn the best technicians need to be booked well in advance. Local service producers advise inter­national producers to avoid shooting during the Ramadan month in the spring. They also warn that July and August can be searingly hot.