Rabat – Hollywood superstar Vin Diesel has praised Moroccan hospitality.
In an interview with Lebanese journalist Raya Abirached on Saudi Arabia’s channel MBC’s TV show “Scoop with Raya,” Diesel reminisced about a video clip that he posted on Facebook last year during the shooting of “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” in Kasbah, Ouarzazate, one of the world’s leading filming destinations.
Clearly moved by his Moroccan experience and eager to express his love for Morocco, Diesel said, “It was a wonderful experience […] and what was surreal is I went around by myself to meet people and I went to a hut. Although they [Moroccans] had nothing there, refrigerator was tied-p [with] a goatskin. However, they were so gracious and they were so set on getting to giving me what they have. It was such a beautiful experience […] warmth.”
Written by American author Ben Fountain, “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” follows the story of Billy Lynn, a 19-year-old private, and his experience in Iraq. Upon returning home, he’s enlisted to embark on a public relations campaign, along with other soldiers, to rally support for the war in Iraq.
It’s not the first time a Hollywood star has spoken fondly of Morocco. Last May, during a promotional tour for Tom Hanks’s new movie “A Hologram for the King,” Hanks reminisced about a film he made in Morocco many years ago and said, “My visit to Morocco has changed my stereotypical views of Muslim countries.”
Earlier this year, American actor Jonah Hill also expressed his love for Morocco, saying in an interview with Thrillist, “Morocco “is a really interesting place.”
Over the past several years, Morocco has become the setting of many blockbuster movies , including “Mission Impossible-Rogue Nation” starring Tom Cruise, Prison Break,” “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” and “Les Nouvelles Aventures d’Aladin,”
Last week, American TV channel CNN published an article lauding Morocco rise to a major filmmaking hub in Africa and the Middle East.
