Although the film will be shot in Sierra Leone, Equatorial West Africa does not have the infrastructure to accommodate the crew, so it needs to find alternatives. In the end, the crew found an ideal location near Port Edward in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The dense rainforest terrain provided the background for the three main sets of diamond mines, refugee camps and Benjamin's school in the film.
The weather is the most troublesome issue for the crew. During the years when director Zwick was in the movie, this film was the third time he prayed for the beauty of God. However, the crew encountered the largest rainfall record in the history of the local area. What they can do Everything has only to adapt, so Zwick and the photographer often have to redesign the lens.
In order to create the characteristics of Sierra Leone, the crew also brought some unique plants from Sierra Leone to decorate the filming location. Since trucks are needed, roads need to be paved. The crew laid a temporary road on the wire mesh that can withstand large vehicles. After the shooting, this structure is easy to lift up, and the natural vegetation will gradually restore the original appearance.
After the filming in South Africa, the crew moved to Mozambique. Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, will appear in the film as Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. The crew hired a large number of extras locally. Ngila Dickson, a costume designer who had collaborated with Zwick in "The Last Samurai", went to Sierra Leone to choose fabrics, and found a lot of stories in thrift stores. Matching clothing.
In order to prevent the riots and fighting scenes in the film from disturbing the local residents and triggering panic about the civil war in Mozambique, the crew distributed a large number of flyers, and the news media also informed the residents that what they saw and heard was just for filming. of. The scene was so real that the German dialect coach of the crew couldn't bear to watch it. Semula said: "The sad memory reappeared. I must admit that it made me realize how lucky I was to survive. I went back to the hotel room and cried, then hung up the phone and told the children that I love them."
During the filming of the film, many actors and actresses visited the SOS Children’s Village in Maputo. After the shooting, most of the props, building materials, costumes, and even some personal property after the set was removed were distributed to the local orphanage and hospital. In addition, the construction department of the crew also produced tables and chairs for the orphanage.
