MONTREAL — The Quebec City-based producer of La Cité des ombres (‘The City of Shadows’), a $5 million flick set in war-torn 19th century North Africa, believes the theme of his latest film is very contemporary.

‘It’s about Africa when it was being colonized by Europeans but it’s very relevant today. There are parallels that can be drawn with the war in Iraq and other conflicts around the world,’ said Yves Fortin, speaking to Playback Daily the day after shooting wrapped in Tunisia.

Written and directed by Kim Nguyen (Le Marais, Truffe) the majority Canada/Switzerland copro was shot entirely in the desert country, by Quebec’s Productions Thalie and overseas partners Bohemian Films. Like Nguyen’s first feature Le Marais, La Cité is an expressionistic auteur flick.

Set in an unnamed North African city invaded by European troops, it stars German-born actor Jean-Marc Barr (Le Grand Bleu, Europa) and Quebec performers Pierre Lebeau, Claude Legault and Sabine Karsenti. Barr plays a military doctor who comes back to the city after spending three years on the frontlines of a war.

The biggest challenge was shooting in the desert, says Fortin. ‘There was a sand storm. We had to completely shroud all the equipment. It complicates things.’

The sand also had an impact on the quality of light, he says. ‘A sand storm creates the effect of a thick fog of sand, I’ve never seen anything like it.’

Fortin was determined to shoot in the Tunisian desert, despite the challenges. ‘We wanted it to be an authentic natural setting,’ explains the producer. Three-quarters of the crew for La Cité were native Tunisians.

After three tries Fortin got support from Telefilm Canada for La Cité. SODEC and Switzerland’s l’Office Fédéral de la Culture, la Télévision Suisse Romande and International Monastir Films Services also contributed. Distributed in Canada by Christal Films, La Cité des ombres will be in theatres in 2009.