Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1470106
Harrow's Commune This is was one of my favorite sets and characters. He is a villain, but not a stereotypical villain, he gives the illusion that he's doing good in the world, like certain cult leaders that create a community around them. I wanted to feel that all of his followers live with him, so my mind went to the magnifi cent iranesi and his colombario, a series of small grottos for birds, equating his followers to dozens of birds living together. The crew built a series of niches and arches facing a larger space for the entire community where they serve food and watch videos or do communal activities. The exterior is a street near the river in Budapest that reminded us of the old docks area in south London before gentrifi cation. I asked a fantastic young Hungarian artist to gra ti the walls of the streets for the commune. Cairo I went to scout in Egypt in the very beginning of the project to absorb the culture and the history. It was a fantastic journey that opened my mind and heart to style, antiquity and architecture, so reproducing Cairo on a backlot was not a small task. I chose a few neighborhoods in Cairo as a template for the footprint of the set, using pieces of street alleys and a square to achieve a small world that sums up the best of what can be found in Cairo. My trip in Egypt was critical for research and details, the canvas was so rich. The challenge during the pandemic, with delays and cargo stuck in ports because of the lockdown, was absolutely immense. Veronique Melery, my fantastic companion on this journey, found an amazing solution. We were able to get dressing and materials from all over Europe by using production trucks to deliver them to Budapest. We even dressed Vespas to make tuk tuks. I met a very talented Art Director, Ali Hossam, in Cairo and asked him to come over to E. HARROW'S COMMUNE. ELEVATION AND MODEL VIEWS DRAWN BY SANDOR JANI. F. HARROW'S COMMUNE. ILLUSTRATION BY ILM. G. CAIRO STREETS. LOCATION PHOTO WITH GREEN SCREEN EXTENSION. BUILT ON THE ORIGO STUDIOS BACKLOT. E F G