Artistic huppeldepup

Hamse (Omar in the film) acting coach Victor and artistic huppeldepup (Ethiopian for advisor?) Roelof unflatteringly caught by Willem Q. during an improv-voice-stance exercise.

Kayse goes traditional

Here is unit production manager Kayse, posing with a Somali garden tool (and/or weapon?) in front of Geele's boul at the location of the countryside scenes.

Near Haraf river, Hargeisa

Another great photo by 1st A.D. Willem Q(uarles van Ufford.)

"The Harder They Come" made with love, passion and commitment

The Harder They Come was the first ever film to be made in Jamaica (Perry Henzel, 1972). It was made with an incedibly low budget but with a whole lot of love,  passion and commitment. A true inspiration.

Money...

It's all about money, even in a low budget arthouse filmproduction in a non-existent African country. And it don't matter if you're black or white... Well, maybe it does.... a bit.

Coffee and Ka`aba

Acting coach Victor at the Purple Coffee House, looking solemn beneath a painting of the Ka'aba (unbeknownst to him when the picture was taken.)

Geele, Nuura and Khadra in their costumes

Photos by Willem Q

The guard at Laas Geel

The guard at the Laas Geel rockpaintings site hitching a ride from the site to the village. (His boss Sada says he looks like Sean Connery. I agree.)

Photo by Willem Q

Edward Hopper goes Hargeisa

The Ethiopian crew

Our Ethiopian collegues are graduates from the The Blue Nile Film and Television Academy (a ten month course run by Abraham Haile Biru in Addis Ababa.) What they lack in skills (on a professional level) they make up with enthusiasm and eagerness! 

Session with Lula

Victor, Roelof and Muriëlle helping out Lula with a tricky scene: how to sit down with a prostatic belly, how to gently slide down the child she is carrying on her back and weep. Naturally ; )

For the beauty of Laas Gaal

The lovely waiters at the Maan Soor Hotel

Training the actors

Victor Mentink (yellow T-shirt on the right) training the actors on location. Geele's and Nuura's families in one of the corrals.

Don't tell my father

Hodo (Nuura) doing a scene with Geele.

The remainder of the crew est arrivé

Over the last few days the rest of the crew have arrived from the Netherlands, France, Ethiopia and Canada. I will introduce the Ethiopian crew in a later blog: here are the Europeans (and the lone extra Canadian.)

Guillaume with gaffer Daan

Focuspuller Pim, electrician Reinoud (and Sacad: Somali logistics) 

Cameraman Mathieu (who spotted a rhinoceros on his overland trip from Addis Ababa!) and Abraham

The techies at work

Canadian sound man Jean with Willem (out of focus because of the deluge of Hilsburg Regular that was consumed at last night's opening get-together.)

You'll Never Walk Alone

Geele's cousin Ahmed is a Liverpool F.C. fan. Here he is wearing the fantastic 1977 Rome finals replica jersey (note the wristband!) The story of Geele takes place in 1985, the year of the Heizel Stadium Disaster. Ahmed (real name Jimcale) pictured below with Willem and film brother Said.

Geele's friends

Geele has some friends (and one foe) in the city market. Here are some of the secondary adult cast posing after an acting session with Roelof and Lula.

We are a car!

These funky plastic covers make any truck into a Somalimobile! Demonstrating that the Dutch make a hefty car, from left to right: Victor, Muriëlle, Roelof and Willem.

Bouls are finished!

Ali and Amina's settlement is nearly ready. Here the women are building the cooking boul. Pics by Willem Q.

adult cast

Here is the adult cast after an introductory meeting at Maan Soor.

Building the bouls

Bouls are the houses the Somali nomads have built and lived in for centuries. Women are in charge of making the bouls (and taking them apart for travelling.) For the film a couple of bouls are especially created on the sites that Laurent found. Here Geele's corral is being constructed.  Photos by Willem Q.

prayer

In the film one of Geele's cousins is given a make-shift funeral. A blind man recites the prayer for the dead. We found the man at the airport. He recited the prayer for us at the hotel.

Khadra casting sessions

These are the six consecutive casting sessions Ishrah did before she was finally cast as Khadra.

wedding

An all-women Somali wedding party. The bride is praised, one drum is drummed, women are clapping and ululating.

Goodbye to Han and Ed

Han and Ed are leaving tomorrow. We had a farewell dinner at the Crowne Hotel. They really enjoyed their presents and will forever remember Somaliland (especially when they're working out...)

Geele and Nuura

Geele (Mohamed) and Nuura (Hodo) came to fit some costumes. An antelope was curious.

Friday: family day

On Friday most people enjoy their free time. Time for family visits. We visited Kayse's mum, who had just had eye surgery to cure her glaucoma.

Visit to Laas Gaal

Dr. Sada Mire showed us around the cave/rock shelters of Laas Gaal where some of the most beautiful Neolithic rock art of Africa can be seen (dated around 3000 BC.) The landscape  surrounding the site is breathtaking.