Photos courtesy of Philippe Kradolfer and Jon Farrell
The desert does not whisper in Morocco. It breathes.
At sunrise, the light spills across stone villages and dry riverbeds like molten gold, illuminating landscapes that feel untouched by time. Minutes later, caravans of film trucks wind through narrow roads beneath ancient kasbahs. Their cargo? Actors poring over their lines and crew members clad in black eager to start day one of filming. It is here, between dust and cinema, scripture and logistics, that The Ten Virgins is coming to life.
The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world. It encompasses much of Morocco and stretches roughly 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) to the Red Sea.
For decades, Morocco has provided dramatic settings for Jerusalem, Egypt, Arabia, and worlds entirely imagined by Hollywood. But making a movie here is more than finding beautiful backdrops. It is an exercise in adaptation, improvisation, and faith. One moment you are discussing camera lenses with an award-winning technician; the next you are negotiating with a shepherd whose goats have wandered onto the set.
In many ways, Morocco is becoming one of the characters in this film — a land of firelight, silence, and waiting. The same elements that shaped the ancient parables still linger here in startling ways. As cast and crew gather from multiple countries to tell a story about readiness, devotion, and the return of a bridegroom, the line between filmmaking and reality occasionally begins to blur.
The US and Moroccan crews plan lighting and camera angles on the road the ten virgins will walk during the wedding procession. It leads to a 200-year-old village near Ouarzazate, Morocco.
Welcome to The Parables Project, a series of feature films produced by Emmaus Road Media (Utah) and Ozz Films (Morocco) that entertain – but more importantly enlighten the viewer to some of the Savior’s greatest teachings. The Good Samaritan, now streaming on Angel, was the pilot for this project. The Ten Virgins is Emmaus Road’s first, full-length feature film.
Writer and director James Dalrymple explains:
“Near the end of his mortal ministry, Jesus gathered His disciples and taught them about the signs preceding his return. With earnestness, they asked, “Tell us, when shall these things be?
“On that peaceful evening, Jesus shared The Parable of the Ten Virgins, a story that continues to invite profound questions about discipleship, preparation, and readiness for His coming. Today, as the signs of His return seem increasingly visible, the question remains, ‘Am I prepared for His return?’”
The ten virgins practice with their oil lamps. The lamps are an essential part of the story, so authenticity, familiarity, and safety are required for the filming.
Over the next 25 days, we invite you behind the scenes as we weave this parable into film. Along the way, you’ll meet ten remarkably different young women preparing for what appears to be a wedding, though they soon discover this is no ordinary celebration. Their journey will be marked with intrigue and deception in the face of sacrifice but also inspired with heart-felt miracles and enduring faith.
Six of the ten virgins show off their robes designed by Sonya Harris (Utah) and crafted by Abderahim Benkhayi (Morocco) and his team. The actors are from the USA, Israel, the UK, and Spain.
