The fallout from a highly charged battle scene between terrorists and American soldiers is scattered across a quiet residential street in Abu Dhabi, which was the setting for the Hollywood blockbuster War Machine.
Shooting ended on October 26 and the film set, off 15th street and parallel to Sultan bin Zayed the First Street, was deadly quiet when we visited the following day. But the scene at the headquarters of the “International Security Assistance Force” was littered with clues pointing to all the explosive action that took place there — shattered glass and burnt newspapers, car wreckage, smoky stains on the walls, and windows riddled with bullet holes.
Yusoung Garoung, a sentry at one of the entrances to the set, says he was pleased that he got the chance to see Brad Pitt.
“Brad Pitt has been filming here,” Garoung confirmed with a smile. “He was on the site yesterday with two of his children, I saw them.” He added that the next round of filming was to take place at “a special military base on a different site in Abu Dhabi”.
Jisja Liju, who lives in a neighbouring building, says she saw a few people wandering around in American military uniforms.
“My building’s security guard said some famous actor called ‘Bradley’ was here. It sounds very exciting, but I was too busy with my baby and didn’t hear any noises.”
Another resident, Heaji Mohammed, who lives in a nearby flat, said: “Yesterday, I saw men with guns shooting, Afghan and American military men fighting. I was happy to see this filming.”
But some people working in businesses within proximity to the film set weren’t so happy about the Hollywood production that set up camp on their doorsteps.
Nizar PK works in a fire protection, water and wastewater treatment and environmental specialist shop only a few metres away from the set, and says it cost the business dearly.
“Although they were only shooting for three days, they boarded up the shop from October 17 until today (October 27) — the whole area was closed. So for the last 10 days, we have had no business. It’s a problem for me, what can I do? I want to complain to the municipality.”
Nizar adds that during filming, a big screen was put up so residents and passers-by couldn’t see what was going on, but he managed to get a sneak peek at a battle scene after a crew member stopped by his office asking for a fire extinguisher.
“There was too much smoke coming out of a car so they needed to put it out,” says Nizar. “I saw fighting — Afghanis, and so many American people there. Somebody was shooting, and I saw another die. There were so many crowds in a big rush there.”
The US$60 million (Dh220 million) War Machine is the biggest film to be produced by video-streaming platform Netflix, and will be screened in 2016. The film also features Will Poulter and Topher Grace and is directed by Australian filmmaker David Michôd. The script is based on the late American journalist Michael Hasting's best-selling book The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan.
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