Hollywood Art: System of sunnys

June 24.

The recording of The English Patient continues, and the scenes remain captivating. Anthony, a businessman, aimed to convince people. About ten days ago, he saw that the sandstorm season in Morocco would begin. These storms could last an hour to four hours, requiring extensive preparations for good footage. This initial recording involved planning for security and various other factors, already coordinated with different people on what and how to proceed with the shots.

-Let's wait for a sandstorm to arrive. We'll film in a small room we present what a real sandstorm looks like, - said Anthony Mignelia.

-Sounds like we'll have some problems. Did you talk to the meteorological institute about the issues with doing this? - asked Steve E., the producer of The English Patient.

Looking at a detailed map of all areas in Morocco, especially the regions around Fez, where a small desert was used for many shots, they also planned to film in Tunisia, with some team members, and finally in Italy, to save costs.

On the map of Morocco, black circles indicated the areas of major sandstorms, while blue circles marked tolerance zones where, although not dangerous, sandstorms could bury a person or a small tent.

-' I did, even with some residents in these places. These are the most dangerous spots for sandstorms. If we film here and here, we can shoot without compromising the equipment and the safety of the crew,' Anthony explained.

-'It's complicated,' replied Steve E., still not convinced.

-The complication is whether we consult and do a quick shoot in a tolerance zone. I say yes, let's do it. Everything is moving at a spectacular pace for now. I think our storms will hit every so often in the coming days, - said Saul Zaents.

-Fine, let's get some shots with the actors and some imitations, and edit everything when the time comes, - responded Anthony.

Meanwhile, the love story unfolds with its unique language. The actors prepare diligently, with Billy perfecting scenes to meet the demands. Billy practices scenes in the mornings with Winona if needed. Their dialogues are brief but always marked by secrecy, a form of violence and power, as it's a forbidden relationship. The denial and push of emotions are necessary.

Now they practice a bizarre method used by Winona to emphasize discomfort: speaking with blindfolds on, as close as possible, while avoiding any contact. The exercise remains strange.

-I give up, - said Billy, removing the blindfold.

-We were doing well. When you can't see, you have a desire to see, which can be used as a need for our scenes, - Winona explained, wearing a white, low-cut shirt that left much to the imagination, despite the desperate heat. Billy was drenched in sweat from the sun's rays.

-I feel like if I move even a little, I'll end up banging my head against yours, - Billy responded, wiping sweat from his forearm. Winona, without saying more, handed him a white towel, receiving a slight thank you. They had been practicing for two hours and still hadn't started filming.

-Let's have breakfast, - said the brunette, stretching lazily. The movie has been demanding, both from the director and Billy, who requires constant practice of his lines, postures, and movements. It's one rehearsal after another, common for long roles, such as musicals.

She fanned herself with some irritation while the fan in the corner of the room blew air intermittently, trying to stay cool. Baths had to be short due to water-saving policies in the desert state. Usually accustomed to long showers, she now had to wash in a small stall or with a cold water cloth at the end of the night. Public baths were a real nuisance, especially for women, with modesty concerns and the fear of hidden cameras, as many wanted a piece of Winona's body.

-We have tortillas with vegetables and meat, - Billy said, thinking that the menu wasn’t exactly tortillas but a type of flatbread called Khobz. - We can use those turbans. My bodyguards can disguise themselves as civilians and go to the market to get some hummus or kefta. -

-Sounds fabulous, - said the woman, biting her lip at the idea of going out to eat in disguise, like a normal person. It was always intriguing, and Billy knew that casual outings to restaurants had become limited, depending on the area, place, and time.

***

The recordings, as always, began at 9:00 am and lasted until noon, took a break until 2:00 pm, and then resumed from 2:40 pm to 6:00 pm.

-Scene 39. Take 3.-

EXT. BASE CAMP AT POTTERY HILL.

Almasy crouches with an OLD ARAB outside his rudimentary house. While drawing in the sand, he speaks in some ancient dialect, marking a possible location of the lost oasis. The man stops speaking and looks at the sky for a second or two before Almasy, or we, hear the faint sound of an AIRPLANE. It’s Clifton’s Steerman, Rupert Bear, coming to land. Almasy doesn't look up.

The Arab continues speaking. The recently arrived Katharine has struggled up the hill to talk to Almasy.

-Hello, I don't want to interrupt, but what are we celebrating? - Katharine asked.

She tries to leave, but Almasy raises a hand to keep her there. Calmly.

-It's an incredible story about an ostrich hunter. He was telling me about Zerzura. He thinks he's been there, but his map, the route he's describing, he can't survive the journey now. But, since he's a poet, his map is poetry, and now we are near an ostrich place,- Billy/Almasy tells Winona.

-I was telling her that your map is poetry, - Billy commented in Arabic to the Arab. Though Billy's gesture seems brusque, it’s full of tenderness. The way he looks into her eyes, speaks calmly, and his body language invites her, all captured by the lens from afar. Up close, his words might be harsh, with furrowed brows.

The Arab shrugs at Billy’s comment.

- What do you mean by poetry? - Katharine asked.

-A curved mountain like a woman's back, a plateau shaped like an ear, - Almasy explained.

-That sounds clear. Where's the place to catch the ostrich? - Katharine asked.

-The ostrich is a diversion. A poor man hunts an ostrich; that's the method. Nothing to do with Zerzura. To catch an ostrich, you mustn't move. The man finds a place where the ostrich feeds, a wadi, and positions himself where the ostrich can see him on the horizon. He doesn't move, otherwise, the ostrich will flee. At dusk, he moves fifty, to sixty meters. When the ostrich returns the next day, the man is there, but closer, - Almasy says.

Briefly looking at the guide.

-Hunting the ostrich. -

The guide speaks, amplifying with gestures, rummaging in his robe.

-If the ostrich feeds a family, not just the meat but selling the feathers, beak, and skin, a year later, this animal. So, every day the man gets closer. And the ostrich is unsure: has something changed? Now the standing man is just a few meters from where it feeds. Then one day, the man is in the wadi, in the water. The ostrich comes, as always, dips in the water, and the man JUMPS and catches it, - Billy says.

He shrugs. The Arab has more to say. Almasy doesn’t respond, remaining silent.

He gestures dismissively.

-What is he saying? - Katharine asks.

Billy shakes his head, somewhat uncomfortable.

-Come on, what did he say? - Katharine/Winona insists.

-He said: beware, - Almasy comments.

-Beware, who do you mean, me or who? -

-Her or me? - Almasy asks the Arab.

The Arab speaks again. Almasy speaks without looking at Katharine.

-The one who seems not to move, - Almasy comments in a deep silence, looking directly at Winona. Billy tries to convey all the love in his eyes while maintaining a solemn posture.

...

-Cut. -

The crew, organizing the scene, sighed as they prepared for the next shot.

-Great job, - Billy commented.

-I thought we’d have to repeat the scene five times, - Winona said, breathing deeply.

...