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United States of AmericaMarrakech: a predator's web of murder, intrigue, brainwashing, and deceit.
SynopsisMarrakech shows how a chance encounter can impact and alter one's life.
In a riveting fractured narrative, newlyweds Arden and Sierra Cole are stalked by a killer who believes they witnessed his crime. He befriends them and then, in an evil game of manipulation and cunning, applying "21st century technology," the killer sets out to erase any memory they might have of the event.
Calla, who amuses herself (and fascinates others) with erotic self-portraits and veil dancing, yearns to escape from Texas to Marrakech. She lives with Ned Prime, a smooth wealthy Texan, who is enticed by her, but cannot possess her. Prime is shadowed by Crockett, a man over whom he has unexplained control. This cast of characters weaves through the Coles' lives as they innocently honeymoon, unaware that they have been targeted by a killer.
I want the viewer to participate in the experience of the film, rather than be guided by worn road maps and faded billboards. I find it far more interesting and stimulating to be challenged and open to new experience, rather than be given a transparent package, tied with a shiny red bow. There is little motivation to explore areas that have already been thoroughly surveyed.
Marrakech is a fractured narrative. It has its own landscape. Film noir is firmly rooted in the 19th century's strain of forbidding romanticism, usually a world of darkness and violence where the central figure is wrapped in greed, lust, and ambition – Marrakech's Ned.
Instead of the sound of clanking trains heaving through dark, rainy nights – we have Ned in his jaguar, slicing through velvet evenings and golden days. Instead of rain-coated figures with fedoras pulled down, standing in corridors planning murder – we have Ned, the predator, and his man Crockett, drinking champagne in a hot beach hotel room, calmly looking at murder as sport, part of the hunt. Ned is on safari. Rather than canyon roads, we have country roads, ranches, barns, and cantinas. For interrogation rooms, we have a customs officer – and in a hospital room, there is Ned, the Doctor of Hypnosis, Dr. Feelgood, doing his manipulation number on the newlyweds, Sierra and Arden. Instead of a femme fatale in a fur coat and high heels, we have Calla in veils, bare feet, and little else.
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Directed by
Harry Burrus -
Written by
Harry Burrus -
Produced by
Harry Burrus & Megan Gabel - Marrakech Website
Written by: Harry Burrus
Produced by: Harry Burrus & Megan Gabel
Cast
Crony: Jason SordiaLucha the Nurse: Victoria Renee
Cantina Bartender: Gareth Maguire
Customs Officer: Ruben Rojas
Jake: Roy Horlock, Jr.
Driver: John Hart
Crony with Cowboy Hat: Micah Grossman
Long Earrings, the Wife: Lyndsay Sweeney
Wife: Sara Gaston
Sierra Cole: Katsy Joiner
Arden Cole: Jim Lawrence
Crockett: Chris Golden
Concierge: Eric Stewart
Ned Prime: Michael DeVous
Husband, Hotel Bar: Tom Long
Vivian Stoksteder: Doris Wood
Calla: Mirelly Taylor (as Ruth Mirelly Osuna)
Crew
Art Director: Kelley DarbonneMusic: Scott Szabo
Substitute Art Director: Cara Rosenbloom
Wardrobe Supervisor: M. Gabel
Production Attorney: Megan Gabel
Grip: Scott Hamilton
Key Grip: William Daniel
Production Accountant: Carolyn Lang Morgan
Sound Mixer: Teddy Hallaron
Sound Design: Jon Darbonne
Choreographer: Michael DeVous
Stunt Coordinator: Mark Chavaria
Production Assistant: Tom Hayman
Substitute Grip: J.R. Rodriguez
Script Supervisor: K. Dawson
Editor: Jon Dabonne
Director of Photography: Jon Darbonne
Gaffer: Troy Webb
Substitute Gaffer: Bryon Bruess
JON DARBONNE: we storyboarded each shot, discussing theme and style. Shooting on a DSR-500 has many difficulties. Harry said from the start, our goal was to make each frame as good as it can be. We started with netting the lens, which takes the edge off DV. We went into the engineering of the camera, and took the blacks down and shot through NDs to try to get them deeper, which required a lot of light. We boosted the gamma to lift the skin tones out of the blacks and pushed the highlights so they would blowout quicker. Exteriors and some interiors at the ranch were shot through sepia filters and roscoe pale gold and other exteriors were balanced to 10K degrees to give it a warm feel. Specific flashback sequences were shot all with hard light, crushed blacks and a 1000 degree shutter with pop zooms to give it an “in your face” feeling. We used the dolly a lot, moving the camera on both wide shots and close-ups, matching motions for transitions.
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Director
Harry Burrus
