Mosul may be a Western-backed film about conflicts in the Middle East, but the Russo brothers (Avengers: Endgame) and writer-director Matthew Carnahan (21 Bridges) made sure that Iraqi voices were included in the process. The thriller, which drops November 26 on Netflix, centers on the Nineveh SWAT team who fought to free their hometown from ISIS invaders.
In order to portray the real-life heroes faithfully, the producers brought up a team of experts - from dialect coaches to crew members - who could directly influence the authentic feel of the project. Perhaps most crucial to the endeavor was executive producer Mohamed Al-Daradji, an acclaimed filmmaker in his own right.
Al-Daradji spoke to Screen Rant about the how moved he was by the Mosul script, and how he used his particular expertise to ensure that the filming site of Morocco and international cast of actors felt as authentically Iraqi as possible to honor the story of the Nineveh team.
How did you as producer help ensure that the story of the Nineveh SWAT team was both authentic and specific?
Mohamed Al-Daradji: When I first read the script, I was very moved. I felt that someone like me had written it, even though it was Matthew who had penned it. I was so emotional, and I called the other filmmakers right away and told them I wanted to be involved.
From the beginning, we as a team, set out to make this authentic. The group was very open minded. They wanted to hear my opinion and for me to bring my expertise to the table. It was important for us to have the fim look like the city of Mosul and to have actors that were speaking Iraqi Arabic.
For us, the details of what was shown on the screen were so important in every element of this film. The goal was that when someone from Iraq saw the film, it would mirror the experience of those who knew and had lived in the city. At the same time, Mosul was just about to be liberated, so we could not shoot there. That's why we shot in Morocco.
How hands-on were you able to be with the production, and how did the producers and crew work together to overcome any obstacles in communication or context that come from having such an international cast?
Mohamed Al-Daradji: The whole team really worked together whenever there was an obstacle. Our first challenge during production was getting Iraqi actors to Morocco, where we were filming. I tried to help as much as I could on a local level by working with government officials in Iraq, but we eventually had to look to Arabic actors who were based outside of the country.
Whenever there was a hurdle during production it had to be a collaborative process. The filmmakers, crew and cast from across the Middle East, Europe and North America would come together to solve it. Mosul was a good example of how to partner on an international level.
How did your own experience as director and writer equip you to guide a first-time director like Matthew?
Mohamed Al-Daradji: Matthew is a great writer and a great director. He had a good vision from the beginning, and we worked
closely on the story he wanted to tell and how we wanted to tell it.
As a filmmaker myself, I was able to impart my knowledge and ease things from the Iraqi side. He would turn to me for my opinion and would ask me what I thought about different situations. For example, we had lots of discussions around the casting of Adam Bessa and how we wanted his accent to sound as Kawa. Matthew was a good filmmaker to work with and is a very good listener.
Mosul is available on Netflix starting November 26.