italian screenwriter needs advice... film about moroccan in Italy

[Sognarello]

Hi everyone there,

This is my plight: I am a screenwriter who has been hired by an Italian film company to 'shape up' (read 'fully rewrite') a movie about a Moroccan guy living in Milan. He is followed by two policemen who are in charge to survey his alledged link with a terrorist group (sic!), but no, thanksGod in the end it will turn out he is NOT a terrorist at all, just a regular guy who is trying to make a decent living out of his country. In the process of spying him one of the policemen gets actually 'drawn' by his culture, his friends, his life basically, and he is, in turn, suspected by his captain who basically fire him for his 'friendly behaviour'.

This is the plot. The problem is: neither the producer or the director have much of a clue of Morocco, Moroccans culture, a fact which yes, it's quite a bad premise if you want to write about another culture...

Having quite in horror the idea to write my self something I don't understand much of, I have a question for you: what would you do in my place?

I mean, I can buy books, I could read articles, but I strongly feel that would be cheating big time. As I said, I am italian, I have lived abroad in the last 4 years, I know a little about being 'culturally typecasted'.Like we all eat pizza, we sing in the streets, and we are all open and emotional... The last thing I want to do is to apply the same 'vagueness' of judjement to others. I think the world doesn't need it, and I strongly believe that a movie that does that to its audience is worse than a bad movie, it is culturally immoral.

SO: I am currently in London, I have been here just 5 months, but I lived in Amsterdam for quite a while. As you certainly know, the Moroccan comunity in A'dam is very strong, very lively, and very controversial even for dutch 'liberal' standards. However, if I would be in Amsterdam I would know where to look for Moroccans restaurants (by the way, amongh the best in town) or pubs or clubs or coffeshops. In London sadly I haven't the faintest idea; while in Rome,my hometown, I have the impression the Moroccan comunity is kind of small and not very tight (but I may be wrong).

So, this is my situation. If you have any advice on how to start to approach the subject without committing a cultural crime, I would be more than happy if you'd share your thoughts. Any idea on how to approach Moroccan comunities in London or Rome, if there are any, would be also of invaluable help...

Thank you very much for you attention.
Best

G.

BTW: if I could, I would buy a ticket and go to Marrakesh for a month. Since the schedule for the script is just 40 days, the pay as low as it can possibly get, and I am already moving back to Italy in 2 weeks, I cant.

[whatever]

there are lots of moroccans living in ladbroke grove in london. perhaps you can approach them. or put an ad somewhere or something asking to spend a day with a moroccan family to learn about their culture