Photography by Philippe Kradolfer and Howard Collett. Video by Camden Harwood
The room is barely large enough for the actors, cameras, and a few flickering oil lamps, yet more than sixty people wait silently just outside its walls. Beyond the mud-brick village, the first light of dawn begins to spill across the ancient village near Ouarzazate, Morocco.
Fint Oasis is a traditional Amazigh oasis community tucked inside a dramatic rocky canyon almost invisible until you arrive.
Inside video village, all eyes are fixed on the monitors.
“Picture up!” 1st AD Jon Farrell calls out. The command is repeated across the set and down the road.
Silence.
Then, director James Dalrymple says, “And… action.”
I’m watching the first scene of the day—Scene 41, nearly two-thirds of the way through The Ten Virgins script. Film scenes are rarely short in order. Instead, productions organize scenes by location to avoid costly company moves.
Howard Collett, producer, in the video village writing this story.
On my left sits Akram Elkouzouz, line producer for Ozz films. Every operational department reports to him. Many functions like set construction and props were performed earlier so the camera crew, lighting, gaffers and actors don’t have to wait around.
On my right is makeup assistant Saida Chahlane. Because the set is too cramped for extra crew, she jumped into Video Village as the director left. She watches the monitors intensely for anything out of place. Between takes, she rushes in to reduce shine and sweat, fix smudged makeup, and ensuring the consistency of dust and tears.
In front of me sits script supervisor Ghizlane Qasbaoui, meticulously recording every detail of the scene. Since movies are filmed out of sequence, her notes become essential in helping hundreds of hours of footage cut together seamlessly in post-production.
“Cut!” Jon Farrell calls.
Instantly, the scene comes alive. Hair, wardrobe, makeup, lighting, lenses—everyone moves quickly and efficiently. It’s like a pit stop at the Indy 500. No motion is wasted.
Eliana captured on A Cam and B Cam as seen from the video village.
It’s a simple scene, but James wants multiple angles for the final edit, requiring a two-camera setup and resets between takes.
Yet the moment carries enormous emotional weight.
With cameras rolling again, Eliana (Alliyah Mai Mukri) awakens quietly, offers a silent prayer, walks to the window, greets the first rays of morning light, and softly whispers:
“He is coming.”
She is speaking of the Bridegroom—the Savior. For days, the other nine girls have been preparing for His arrival. But Eliana senses something deeper than the others. She is quietly attuned to promptings some have not yet fully recognized.
Alliyah Mai Mukri describes in this video the tender scene from her point of view as Eliana.
Though the Parable of the Ten Virgins was given two thousand years ago, its message feels strikingly urgent today.
He is coming.
Are we prepared?
