A road trip through the Atlas Mountains to the set of ‘Baghdad Central’.
On the set and ready for filming !
In November 2018, I took a road trip through the Atlas Mountains to Ouarzazate (aka the ‘Hollywood of Morocco’) to work with ‘Bare Arms’, a consultancy for the film and TV industry, to advise on and perform opposite Hollywood actor, Corey Stoll, on an episode of "Baghdad Central”, a six-part television drama series produced by Channel 4 that aired in the UK in February 2020, for which I got an IMDB credit for (see more about what that is below).
Set in Baghdad in 2003, the series follows the US-led invasion of Iraq and revolves around a former Iraqi police inspector named Muhsin al-Khafaji, played by Waleed Zuaiter, who is searching for his missing daughter in the chaos of post-invasion Iraq. Muhsin is struggling to survive in a city that is in turmoil, with widespread looting and lawlessness, and where everyone is a potential enemy.
It also features Corey Stoll, an Golden-Globe-nominated actor known for his work in "The Bourne Legacy" (2012), "House of Cards" (2013-2014), and "Ant-Man" (2015) amongst many others, who we’d be acting alongside for one of the scenes
Based on the novel of the same name by Elliott Colla,"Baghdad Central" was praised for its depiction of life in post-invasion Baghdad, the complex political and cultural dynamics at play in the city, and the difficulty of maintaining one's moral compass in a time of war.
Getting to Ouarzazate, the Hollywood of Morocco
We fly into Marrakesh, the capital city of Morocco and stay in a hotel for a night. It’s warm, and comfortable – a nice break from the British winter, but most definitely more than a holiday.
After some breakfast, we start the 200 kilometres through the stunning Atlas Mountains to Ouarzazate, somewhere that I’d visit again in 6 months’ time after the Marathon des Sables.
We see groups of adventure motorcycle riders traversing the winding roads, loaded up with gear and I’m instantly jealous, I’ve recently become more interested in adventure bikes, that probably stemmed from watching Ewen McGregor and Charlie Boorman’s Long way series in the early 2000s, where they ride their bike around the world, through Africa, and all over. It’s a romantic ideal that have a big impact on me.
The views are stunning as we stop for food and supplies on the way. It’s these days of working for myself that allows me to travel and see these stunning parts of the world that I have to remember when business fluctuates as it inevitably does in all industries.
After around 6 hours, we arrive in Ouarzazate, a city known as the "door of the desert" and is a popular destination for tourists, especially those interested in exploring the Sahara Desert – as I would find when undertaking the Marathon des Sables. Once an important stop on the caravan route between Marrakech and the Sahara, the city is also famous for its film studios, which have been used as the setting for many Hollywood blockbusters, including Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, and Game of Thrones.
A wardrobe and fitting malfunction on day one..
We walk to a tent that’s been setup as the make-up and costume department. I’m still tired from the travel however the first to sit down in the barber’s seat when he beckons us over. Wiping the sleep from eyes, I barely notice the barber as he shears a big clump of hair off the side of my head, giving me what the US military refers to as a ‘high and tight’ (see photos for how this looks). Amidst the laughter from the other performers, I let out a loud groan – I’m due to attend a friend’s black tie charity ball with a number of other veteran friends and can just imagine the banter that will most definitely be getting said at the event.
To add insult to social injury, the talent manager steps back in the tent and informs the barber that we don’t actually need haircuts - as we’ll be wearing helmets on set and the shot won’t be close enough to see our hair. I let out another groan when the laughter and banter resume in the tent!
We get told that we’ll be performing alongside Hollywood actor, Corey Stoll, who has notably appeared in high-profile films such as ‘The Bourne Legacy’ (2012), ‘Ant Man’ (2015), and ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ (2023), as well as political drama series ‘House of Cards’, amongst many others. Having worked closely with VIPs and dignitaries in the past, I’ve learned to be respectful but not shy when building rapport, as they often have lots going on in their heads, yet also appreciate it when others around them are relaxed and jovial.
We leave costume and fitting and walk to the set to start rehearsals with the team. We’re introduced to Corey and he’s immediately friendly and professional. He’s interested to know about our backgrounds, and if we can give him any more tips on how to make his non-verbal communication more ‘military officer-like’. We all exchange ideas as we develop the sequence more with the director on the set.
Whilst the filming team are discussing angles and developing the set a little more, we practice our movement so that it looks as realistic as possible on screen. It’s warm, so we’re encouraged to go and hang out in the ‘Green room’. Having surfed whilst at university in Plymouth, Devon, I’m familiar with the metaphor but not used in a media capacity so I find out that it refers to somewhere quiet where the actors and performers can hang out before a ‘take’.
Our scene in the opening of episode 4. I’m the soldier to the right of the door looking towards it, aiming my rifle at it.
The team are now ready for us, and so we go back to the set. We run through the scene around 10-15 times so that the crew can capture it from different angles. It’s great fun, but very tiring in the heat. I’ve signed up to run the Marathon des Sables here in a few months, so I also see it as a chance to start building some acclimatisation.
In the afternoon, we move to the second scene, where we’ll be performing a scene with the Humvees in the sunset. The mood on the set is fun and professional – exactly the right combination for creative projects, and I note that I want to make sure that every future project I work on, has the same vibe as this one.
*An IMDb credit refers to the inclusion of a person's name in the credits of a film or television show listed on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). IMDb is a popular online database that provides information about movies, TV shows, actors, directors, and other industry professionals. It serves as a comprehensive resource for the entertainment industry.
Image credits: My own and Bags Simmons at Bare Arms
