In depth · Film
Marrakech on film: from Hitchcock to the studios of Ouarzazate
Many production companies come to Morocco for its landscapes and its light, the Moroccan National Tourist Office notes. Four films to watch before you go, with trailers only from the studios’ and distributors’ own channels.
Updated November 2026
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller with James Stewart and Doris Day begins with an American family on holiday in Marrakech.
Gladiator (2000)
Ridley Scott’s epic is among the films shot in Morocco that the Moroccan National Tourist Office lists.
Babel (2006)
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film, part of which unfolds in Morocco, is also on the tourist office’s list.
Inception (2010)
Christopher Nolan’s thriller is another of the films the tourist office lists as shot in Morocco.
The studios of Ouarzazate
At the CLA studio in Ouarzazate you walk among sets used in many productions, including a reconstruction of medieval Jerusalem, the tourist office notes; see our guide to Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate.
The Marrakech International Film Festival
The 23rd edition runs from 20 to 28 November 2026, with Marion Cotillard as president of the jury (marrakech-festival.com).
Questions and answers
Which films were shot in Morocco?
The Moroccan National Tourist Office lists Inception (2010), Gladiator (2000), Babel (2006), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and The Man Who Knew Too Much among them.
When is the Marrakech film festival?
The 23rd Marrakech International Film Festival runs from 20 to 28 November 2026.