The Setting

We were based in Ifrane, a mountain town that looks like it got lost on the way to the Alps. But most of the shooting happened in Casablanca—five hours down winding roads, through checkpoints, with gear packed between dates and duffels.

By the time we arrived, the city was glowing and slow, buzzing with pre-iftar energy. Mohamed trained early, hydrated before sunrise, then nothing. Just body, breath, and prayer until nightfall.

Why I Brought the A7S III

I didn’t have the FX3 yet. This shoot is what made me buy it.

The A7S III held its own—phenomenal in low light, solid on battery—but I kept running into audio headaches. I was juggling external mics, sync nightmares, and pre-dawn setups running on half charge and no food. Watching that footage back later, I knew I needed XLRs built-in. That trip sold me on the upgrade

What the Camera Couldn’t Capture

There’s a quiet war that happens when you’re pushing your body on no food, no water, no shortcuts.

Filming that—without interrupting it—became my own kind of spiritual endurance. I didn’t eat all day out of respect. And I shot all night because golden hour didn’t wait for my blood sugar to stabilise.

There were moments I didn’t roll. Not because I missed them, but because silence was heavier than any frame could hold.

What I Took Home

This wasn’t content. This was conviction.

Watching Mohamed move with grace through a month designed to test the body and cleanse the mind reminded me what filmmaking can do—when you treat it as presence instead of production.

Morocco taught me something that tech specs never will:

Sometimes the best thing you can do as a filmmaker… is stop filming.