The first film shot in Marrakech was by French pioneer Louis Lumi're in 1897. Some Hollywood 'big hitters' followed after the second war, notably Orson Welles who filmed 'Othello' in Marrakech and Essaouira in 1949 (Palme d-Or winner) and David Lean, who shot desert scenes for 'Lawrence of Arabia' in 1962.
Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' was also set in Marrakech. The opening scenes of the film were filmed in the souks and the main square, Jemaa el Fna, a location which has changed little since!
Hitchcock fell in love with Marrakech and spent a considerable amount of time here where he wrote the screenplay for 'The Birds' in Marrakech. British agent 007 also made it to Marrakech, with Timothy Dalton playing Bond in 'The Living Daylights' in 1987. Martin Scorsese was so impressed with the filmic qualities of Marrakech, notably the light, that he filmed two major motion pictures here, 'The Last Temptation of Christ' in 1988 followed by 'Kundun' in 1997.