Peru is a wonderful destination for filming, but that does not exempt directors from having to respect the strict health protocols approved by the Peruvian Government in order to ensure production staff work in safe and optimal conditions.
It is therefore important to know that, through Ministerial Resolution No. 266-2020-DM-MC, the Peruvian Ministry of Culture approved the "Health Sector Protocol for the implementation of surveillance, prevention and control measures against COVID-19 in audiovisual production activities".
This document announces a series of measures with the aim of preventing and controlling the spread of COVID-19 among personnel engaged in producing these artistic pieces.
Do you have a spot in mind with the flight of the condor in the background? Here are some of the recommendations you will have to observe, along with the actors, assistant personnel and the film crew.
The steps to follow
The first obligation for the production teams working in Peru will be to prepare and implement the "Plan for the surveillance, prevention and control of COVID-19 in the workplace", in accordance with the provisions of Ministerial Resolution No. 448-2020-MINSA (Ministry of Health).
This resolution, passed on June 30, indicates the basic guidelines to include actions such as the cleaning and disinfection of workplaces; the assessment of workers’ health conditions; washing and disinfecting of hands; awareness regarding the prevention of contagion; preventive measures, both collective and personal.
Download the complete Ministry of Health document here.
Once this plan is implemented, the work teams must apply the recommendations of the Ministry of Culture’s "Health Sector Protocol", which establishes the following, among other specific provisions:
- Audiovisual productions must have the participation of a health professional in accordance with the Guidelines approved by Ministerial Resolution No. 448-2020-MINSA, and the classification of workplaces (Preliminary Guidelines, 6.1.2).
- Any production involving between one and four workers, and which is not covered by the provisions of Supreme Decree No. 003-98-SA, must comply with the COVID-19 Surveillance Checklist in companies with one to four workers (Annex 6 of Ministerial Resolution No. 448-2020-MINSA). This action may be carried out by the employer or by the person responsible for health (Preliminary Guidelines, 6.1.3).
-If workers with COVID-19-related symptoms are identified, the employer must apply the respective isolation protocol, make a note of those present or close contacts and act in accordance with the rules established by MINSA (Measures to be adopted in the event of a suspicious or confirmed case, 6.2.1).
-Those who have remained for more than fifteen minutes at a distance of less than one meter without the recommended protective measures are considered close contacts of the suspected or confirmed case (section 6.2.3).
Furthermore, in the "Sanitary Provisions" section, the protocol requires the use of an alcohol spray bottle in each vehicle, use of disinfecting gel by the driver, as well as keeping the windows open and making stops every two hours for passengers to get some fresh air in open areas.
As for choosing locations, the person in charge should check that these places are completely disinfected and that the surrounding spaces allow for social distancing during work in all departments or areas, as well as adequate ventilation.
Find out the other recommendations here.
Peru: a visual delight
There are many landscapes and locations offered by this South American country for audiovisual production. In 1954, the film Secret of the Incas was filmed in the city of Cusco by director Jerry Hopper, featuring Charlton Heston and the Peruvian singer Yma Súmac.
Fitzcarraldo, written and directed by Werner Herzog, was filmed some years later, in 1982, in the Peruvian Amazon.
In 2004, Walter Salles went to different locations in Peru to film Motorcycle Diaries, with Gael García Bernal as the main character. This film was nominated for an Oscar in the categories of Best Adapted Screenplay (José Rivera) and Best Original Song (with "Al otro lado del río" by Jorge Drexler, who finally won the statuette).
The Nasca Lines, the Paracas National Reserve, the Cordillera Blanca, among other magical corners of Peru have also been the subject of high quality films, documentaries and short films.
Find out about all the wonders that Peru has to offer for audiovisual productions at the Film in Peru website.
Details:
The organizational unit in charge of designing, proposing, promoting and implementing policies, plans, strategies and standards for the development and promotion of the audiovisual and phonographic industries and new media in Peru is the Directorate of Audiovisual, Phonography and New Media (DAFO). Find out more about it by clicking on this address: http://dafo.cultura.pe/
Sources: PromPerú/ RPP/ Rincón Peruano
