Hello,

This has been sitting in my notes section for almost a week. Sorry about that. Night shoots and moving from place to place mixed with after work social gatherings is not the best combination for the time management. Anyway. Without any further ado. This is my second to last week in Morocco. What an adventure it was..

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Monday. Last shooting day in El Jadida. All was going well until the covid raffle results came in and one of the actors we had on set was taken away. It messed up our schedule, but weirdly I was feeling so calm and at peace. Somehow going through covid and then doing jobs in the past year which kept changing due to stand downs and lockdowns made me feel that bit more prepared. Bottom line today was that our lead has wrapped early on the show and is leaving home tomorrow, also two other actors have just wrapped as well. Since the covid we are no longer having so called wrap parties, so there is no more last chance to say the final goodbye. A bit anticlimactic really. I dream of days when we can do all that again and not wear masks.

Tuesday. Leaving our fancy hotel in El Jadida and traveled for almost 4 hours south where we will be shooting pretty much till the end. I can see my flight back to Vilnius in the horizon. A bitter sweet feeling. The hotel in Essaoira is not as nice, but I guess we are just spoiled now. I was very hungry today so ordered a bunch of room service and stayed in. Was also rather hungover today as we had a little party the night before for one of my colleagues leaving do. I literally had two drinks and woke up feeling as if I was run over by a truck. Weird.

Wednesday. In Essaoira. Coastal town in Morocco. I was so looking forward to the scenes we were shooting and it all went well, just slightly wish that the weather would have been better. It was so so windy! Also today is the first day of Eid here and it means, lamb skins and guts were everywhere in the dumpsters and not. Originally we were supposed to have those days off, so the local crew could celebrate this time, but due to the production running behind they decided to keep working. A bit of a shame, feel bad for the crew who wanted to be with their families. In the evening we went for dinner with some of the people. Ah I miss good food!

Thursday. Shooting in the Medina in Essaoira today. One big scene all day long. It was rather fun actually. Usually when doing one scene a day I get a bit bored, but you know, the cast we had on today are actually nice to hang out with and the crew I already know and love so it was just nice. Got an email from my agent today about a possible job in Saudi Arabia later on in the year and got very excited. Traveling for work excites me, even though I know I’ll probably moan about it eventually at some point, it’s only because I am tired. I am so so grateful about all those possibilities especially now, when Covid made everything so much harder.

Friday. Split day at work. Started at 2pm and wrapped ant midnight. Beautiful location by the ocean and ah I was feeling rather jolly as my director likes to put it. Tomorrow is our last day off on this job and few people are having their last days and sort of leaving parties too. It is all looking way too real now and I am a bit lost as I don’t even know where I will live when I am in Lithuania, will I need to isolate on return and stuff like that.

Saturday. Had an interview for a feature in Norway. So far one of the more tempting options. Went out to find a decent coffee shop and had a little stroll around the town. One of the colleagues had his birthday today, few other had their leaving dos and the production organised a little party in the evening. I went to all of it. You know trying to be social before going home and isolating for another 10 days locked in one room. I am so grateful for the way my life is that I do feel a bit guilty about all the complaining I did on this very blog in the tougher weeks. But you know what, I am also realising that you can be happy and grateful, but also complain a bit as a form of release in a same way you can feel the pain and let it go through you instead of suppressing it. 

Sunday. It’s 2 am, so technically not the Sunday anymore. We did another split day and I kinda just got back from work and showered. The day was good. All outside on the cliffs. Beautiful location really. Very very windy, but that’s why this town is known for its kitesurfing and surfing. SO something happened at the work party last night. One of my female colleagues got groped by a local male camera crew member. I did not see it happen, but I was with her straight after and saw the man being ushered out of the bar. The news of the incident reached the appropriate people today and it was a rather ongoing discussion and investigation going on through out the shooting day. A bit heavy to be honest, but had to be done. Whoever says that this is no longer happening or comes up with sorry excuses of alcohol consumption it is just isn’t fair on anyone. First of all, not all so called drunk men grope women.. ok I better stop here, because it just upsets me. Also all this drama makes me feel like I am at school again. Gossip on this production travels like in a game of a broken telephone. I have heard so many rumours about myself that it’s just funny by this point. 

Highlights:

  • New town, new hotel, everyone staying at the same place.
  • People leaving. Not really a highlight, but more of a sentiment and worth the mention. 
  • The end is near.
  • Essaoira, full of dogs living their best wild life. It literally feels like something from David Attenborough shows.
  • Ah yes got to shoot some big guns, because we haven’t used up all the amount during the filming day and it was the last of it before wrap. Rather exciting. Felt like a computer game.

Cheers with a glass full of Moroccan elephant.