Fez to Casablanca

We've had a heavy week's shooting in Fez for our film about Leo Africanus. We shot scenes about his childhood, university days and his first job as a scribe at a mental hospital. Astoundingly all the locations are still there in the Medina. His university, Al Karouine, is the oldest institution in the world to have continuously issued degrees: sadly they wouldn't let us film inside. The hospital - or maristane - where he worked is also still standing and is used as a market now. We also found some old lodging houses next to the university and it's quite possible that he lived and worked there.

We also travelled to just outside Fez to find the farmlands that Leo's father owned and where Leo liked to go for quiet retreats.

Then we headed for Casablanca by train..

Here's a short timelapse shot during the 4 hour train journey.



We were en route to meet and interview an old friend of mine called Tahir Shah: more about Tahir in the next post.

I shot this in short bursts, hand held on a D700 and then made the slideshow in Aperture.