[3] FireDancer was filmed mainly in and around New York and Washington D.C., and featured a cast primarily of Afghan descent, who Wassel recruited from George Mason University.
[1] However, some shots were filmed on location in Afghanistan and were confronted by Islamic fundamentalists who protested to disapprove of the appearance of certain female actresses.
[4] In his independent film, Wassel wanted to recount and incorporate the story of his youth as an immigrant from Soviet-invaded and Taliban-dominated Afghanistan to New York.
[3] Towards the end of the film's production, Wassel attempted to convince Powell to accept a lesser stake of 10% of the gross earnings, in place of the 30% that he was initially promised.
The next day, Powell was stopped by a police officer who noticed his suspicious behavior and the blood-stained boxes of Wassel's body.