The Exorcist (1973) — Iraq prologue location

The opening Iraq archaeological dig sequence in William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973) was filmed in the Mosul-Nineveh region of Iraq, with Hatra specifically cited as the architectural and atmospheric reference for the prologue — where Father Merrin, played by Max von Sydow, discovers the sinister Pazuzu statuette that triggers the film’s events. The sequence was shot in the actual desert landscape of northern Iraq and is one of cinema’s most celebrated opening sequences.