Big explosions, large columns of smoke, closed military zones... if you've paid a visit to Jerash and you've noticed all this, don't worry, I can assure you that there are no terrorist attacks, no real blasts, and everyone is okay... well, it's all fiction! It seems that Jerash in the last two weeks attracted major Hollywood producers; in fact, the city is hosting cameras, actors and (perhaps) a popular awarded director…

Rumors say that a major production firm is filming here in Jerash, most Jerashis say that the movie is about the war in Iraq (I've heard more specifically about Fallujah), however the police and the authorities do not permit anyone to come near the set, so I haven't seen any concrete thing and unfortunately I can't take any picture for this blog :(

They are still shooting (they started April 14), making a big confusion in the city, until now we have roads closed and a lot of policemen in the zone (in addition to the explosions). Anyway, it's worth it if we can have Jerash featured on the silver screen... I mean implicitly featured since it's supposed to be in Iraq, I don't know...is Jerash so similar to Fallujah?!

A little search on the net reveals the only movie now being filmed in Jordan is Redacted, a mixture of war stories about U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq, focusing on the modern forms of media covering the conflict with particular attention on blogs and web reporting.

Movieweb says that "[the film is] based on the recent events surrounding the rape and murder of a 14-year old Iraqi girl, and the killing of three of her family members by four US soldiers. The soldiers were sleep-deprived and living on energy drinks and sleeping pills in a situation where anyone outside the fence was considered the enemy. The killings have been the most provocative in a series of war crimes that have tarnished the reputation of US armed forces in Iraq".?

The movie is directed by Brian De Palma (wow) and produced by HDNET films, will be shot on high definition and released simultaneously in cinemas, on DVD and on TV; the release is scheduled for fall 2008.

Brian DePalma is the director of Mission to Mars, Mission:Impossible, Scarface and Carlito's Way. The cast includes some not so-famous actors as Ty Jones (he is blogging about his experiences in Jordan), Patrick Caroll and Paul O'Brien.

Labels: Jerash, Jordan, Movies