TV production companies are already gearing up for this year's Ramadan season with several shows already shooting and others on the way. One of these productions is the epic Bedouin Drama, “Struggle on Sands”, which tells the story of love and war between two Bedouin tribes that live on the borders of the Arabic Peninsula during the Ottoman rule in the early beginnings of the 18th century. The first phase of the production, which took place in Dubai, is already over, and preparations are in progress for the second phase which will be in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh. The set in Marrakesh is easy to notice, with fires lit and clouds of war dust surrounding the large pavilions that were made of the same material that was used in the early 1700s. The producers seem to be determined on presenting something different this year, with more than 40 actors and 1000 extras hired for the production which was inspired by the poetry and fantasia of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed, Ruler of Dubai. In addition, 100 trained horses were imported from Spain to be used in battle scenes along with professional jockeys from Spain and a renowned battle scenes' coordinator, Ricardo Cruz who worked in huge Hollywood productions like “Gladiator” and “the Last Samurai”. Cruz said that the size of the production surprised him, adding that he expects it to come out as a world-class quality production. The shooting will be executed with digital cameras that were said to be the latest in the business, according to set manager, Ahmed Ibrahem. The show stars a variety of famous Arabic actors and actresses, including Syrian Tay'em Al-Hassan, Siba Mubarak and a number of other Arabic drama stars. The show's 30 episodes will be aired in upcoming Ramadan along with other productions that will crowd viewers' TVs as it is the habit every year. __
