When one thinks of Peru, Machu Picchu immediately springs to mind. And although it is a truly spectacular site, it is far from being Peru‘s only draw. This unique country presents filmmakers with scores of dramatic locations that can be found nowhere else on earth. Recently, a number of film executives had a unique opportunity to learn this firsthand. PromPeru—a division under the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism—hosted location scouts Lori Balton and Stuart Barter along with Line Producer Jose Ludlow on a FAM tour. Together, these 3 talented individuals have more than 100 years of experience in major feature films and high-end commercials. Karen Watts, CEO of Shoot Latin America, was also honored to be a part of the group—an entourage that included Bruno Canale and Jose Roberto Luy (Chino) as production guides and Angela Maric and Karen Martinez of PromPeru.
Peru, Most Diverse of All Geographic Regions
Peru is one of the world’s most diverse geographic regions—sheltering 84 of the known 117 life zones. It is a land where one can journey through solid desert, comb more than 3,000km of beaches, climb dizzying mountain peaks, and explore lush jungles—all in a single breath. Jose Ludlow explains, “Peru offers a great diversity of locations situated within a very limited distance of each other, most of which are relatively unknown to the entertainment world.”
Upon arriving in Lima, the FAM tour began its expedition with an early morning flight to the southern city of Arequipa and was immediately transported through the majestic Colca Canyon. Razor sharp walls rise dizzyingly from the waters of the Colca River 3,600 meters below and high deserts dot the way to the Canyon. This makes one think of settings for projects that reconstruct ancient civilizations or conjure up galactic adventures on distant planets.
The following day was spent in Arequipa. The city’s deeply ingrained architectural beauty comes mainly from the colonial period. The Santa Catalina Monastery — built in 1580 and enlarged in the 17thcentury — is a city within a city, encompassing over 20,000 meters. Barter explains, “This would work well as a Medina in a Middle Eastern country, or any non-western country where you would need to create a chase scene, or set up a street market where you would have total control and not need to upset or pay ordinary vendors.”
That night we flew to the Puno region, with an elevation of 3,860 meters/12,421 ft. above sea level. The western portion of Lake Titicaca is located here. This body of water is the world’s highest navigable lake and by water volume, it is the largest lake in South America. Titicaca is notable for a population of people who live on the Uros, a group of roughly 42 artificial islands made of floating totora reeds (a reed that abounds in the shallows of the lake.)
From this magnificent location we flew onward to Cusco, a vibrant and mystical city that is the gateway to Machu Picchu and the historic capital of the vast Inca Empire. As the most important colonial center in the Andes and a height of 3,399 meters/11,152ft, it is considered one of the highest cities of the world. We wandered the cobbled streets that were set against the backdrop of Inca and colonial monuments and thought how vast the potential is for this city as a location.
Surrounding Cusco is the Urubamba Valley (the Sacred Valley). This overcharged natural setting features agricultural terraces descending down steep mountainsides and picturesque villages that feature noteworthy Incan palaces on their outskirts. Sacsayuaman is considered an ancient military fortress, but others believe that it was a temple dedicated to the Sun God. The colonial towns Pisac and Ollantaytambo are famous for their ruins of agricultural terraces and tombs carved out of sheer cliffs. Balton summed it up best, “These are the most amazing collection of terraced hillsides I have ever seen—to contemplate the years and countless man-hours that went into constructing these endless stone walls is mind boggling.”
Next stop: Machu Pichu. Rediscovered in 1911 by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham, it is one of the most beautiful and enigmatic sites of the ancient world. Machu Pichu was recently voted as one of the new 7 wonders of the world. Its impressive profile has made this rare site the most recognizable location in foreign movies. Machu Pichu has had a starring role in scores of TV commercials and publications for many years now including the 2004 film, ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’.
After our spectacular romp through the beautiful Andes Mountains, it was off to the lush foliage of the jungle. Whereas most of the exotic jungles are found closer to the mighty Amazon River on the northeastern side of the country, we were fortunate to visit the area of San Ramon and La Merced – an easy 6-hour drive east from Lima. This area features numerous waterfalls, jungle-like forests, abundant rivers, and many other natural wonders that are perfect for any production requiring an exotic location—all without the logistical hassles of going to the Amazon. The short distance makes it so much easier, accessible, and cost friendly to transport equipment, crew and cast. No airplanes, bad weather, or delays. For VIPs, helicopters can be easily arranged from Lima. Canale summed up the area’s great advantage succinctly, “Just think you can get 360 degrees of jungle without fighting bugs, rafts, or dangerous animals!”
After the jungle, we ended up back in Lima. This colorful city offers great potential for TV commercial locations. Its historic downtown was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1991. Ludlow, an experienced commercial producer stated, “The city of Lima can duplicate practically all Latin American major cities, and in certain areas it can also duplicate Europe and the United States.” The district of Miraflores, lying on the shores of the Pacific Ocean facing both the open sea and modern life, reminded Lori Balton of Santa Monica. She explains, “Lima itself was a microcosm of Peru, with open country nearby, delightfully faded barrios and Miraflores, which was like being home in Santa Monica.”
About SLA®
Shoot Latin America (SLA®) is a team of industry professionals based in the United States whose goal is to educate producers and others that have an interest in shooting a project in the countries of Latin America.. SLA is gaining worldwide recognition for its work in educating U.S. and global film production companies on the benefits of locating their film and commercial projects in Mexico, Central America, and South America and making the right connections to benefit everyone.
SLA started in 2004 by Karen Watts, an experienced production industry professional who has intimate knowledge about the countries in Latin America. As a specialist in marketing and promotion, Watts has been instrumental in publicizing and promoting Latin America globally. Her knowledge and familiarity of the different country’s locations, is extensive. For further information visit SLA’s website at www.shootlatinamerica.com
