The Vultures (1984)

Mahdia, Tunisia

Lighthouse that marks the tip of Cape Africa, at the eastern end of the Mahdia peninsula.

The scene : 1 minThe military column skirts around the lighthouse before reaching the city center.

Mahdia, Tunisia

Ruined sector of the old fortified district of the peninsula of Mahdia, between the medina and Borj el-Kébir.

The scene : 2 minThe column crosses the old ruined district; the fort can be seen on the left and the tower stands out in the background.

Mahdia, Tunisia

Street of the lower town of Mahdia, below the medina.

The scene : 3 minThe street where the convoy emerges at 3:40; most of the action then takes place in this area.

Mahdia, Tunisia

Archaeological Museum of Mahdia, located at the foot of the medina, which preserves pieces from the excavations of the Fatimid city and the ancient shipwreck off the coast.

The scene : 4 minLegionnaires are being fired upon from the walls by hidden German snipers.

Mahdia, Tunisia

Fort with a square plan built in the 16th century at the tip of the Mahdia peninsula, remodeled during the Ottoman period; its curtains overlook the sea and the old cemetery.

The scene : 24 minAugagneur and Béral, disguised as Germans, discover an abandoned cannon with its ammunition in the fort, then come back to retrieve it: the staircase they climb and the location of the room are within the enclosure.

Mahdia, Tunisia

Marine cemetery backed by the Borj el-Kébir, on the tip of the peninsula; its tombstones cover the strip of land between the fort and the sea.

The scene : 25 minAugagneur and Béral cross the cemetery to reach the cannon in the fort.

Mahdia, Tunisia

Monumental gate of the medina of Mahdia, the only standing remnant of the Fatimid wall from the 10th century; its long, vaulted, dark corridor gives it its name, السقيفة الكحلة (‘the black vestibule’).

The scene : 29 minThe fortified porch serves as an ambush position for the German soldiers.

Hiboun, Tunisia

Avenue de Hiboun, a seaside suburb in the northwest of Mahdia.

The scene : 43 minThe house where Hélène hosts Pierre while resupplying the other soldiers.

Nefta, Tunisia

Former palace built on the edge of the Corbeille de Nefta, the basin planted with palm trees that overlooks the oasis; long abandoned before its rehabilitation.

The scene : 1 hr 39 minAugagneur walks with the banker’s wife high above the village.

Mahdia, Tunisia

Avenue that runs along the sea at the western entrance of Mahdia and serves the modern city before the peninsula.

The scene : The film opens on this coastal avenue, then the Legion column moves up it to enter the city — which the script renames El Ksour.

Mahdia, Tunisia

Main artery of Mahdia, connecting the medina to the modern city.

The scene : The angle where the script places the El Ksour bank, the target of the convoy.

Mahdia, Tunisia

Rocky promontory that closes the Mahdia peninsula to the east; it contains the carved basins of the ancient Punic port and the lighthouse.

The scene : After the night, the survivors bury their companions on the promontory.

Tunisia

Desert expanse in southern Tunisia, around the city of Tataouine.

The scene : The sequences of crossing the desert by the Legion convoy.

Boulogne-Billancourt, France

Canal Factory, formerly known as the Studios de Boulogne, is a complex of filming studios located in Boulogne-Billancourt, between Avenue Jean-Baptiste-Clément and Rue de Silly, and is one of the historic landmarks of French cinema. Founded in 1941 and long operated by the Société française de production (SFP), it has hosted countless film and television shoots. Acquired by the Canal+ group, it was renovated and renamed "Canal Factory" in 2016. The site now includes five filming stages and remains an active production complex.

The scene : The interiors of the film were shot in a studio.