"Ani Alva and Gustavo Sánchez, director and producer respectively of the film 'Single, Married, Widow, Divorced,' shared their impressions about expanding filming experiences outside Lima and the reception the blockbuster movie received.
With “Single, Married, Widow, Divorced” (SMWD), there was an opportunity to film in an incredible and traditional setting outside Lima: the city of Pacasmayo. The location was ideal for the scenes of the film starring Gianella Neyra, Katia Condos, Milene Vásquez, and Patricia Portocarrero, whose characters, in addition to seeking to escape the everyday life of the capital, also renewed their energies in a destination that transported them to the happiest moments of their youth.
“When we were looking for locations, Pacasmayo was perfect because of its colonial infrastructure and its connection to the past. I feel like it was a place to escape from Lima, but it also conveys nostalgia due to its visual characteristics,” comments Ani Alva, the film's director, about one of the reasons why this setting was chosen. “It has suitable infrastructure for filming a movie, in addition to logistics. It was the first place we visited, and we were convinced it was the ideal location,” states Gustavo Sánchez, the producer, who previously worked in “Under the Skin,” by Francisco Lombardi in this location.
During filming, they realized that this city in the north of Lima was a meeting place for different families, friends, or visitors; precisely, that nostalgia they both refer to was transmitted through the locations they chose for filming. Additionally, it was also a way to rediscover places that meet all the requirements for a shoot. “I usually shoot soap operas or movies in Lima, but I felt the need to go to other spaces and appreciated by viewers. We changed locations, and I liked that it was not a place so worked in cinema or television,” explains Alva.
The story in the mentioned film, combined with a setting like Pacasmayo, created the ideal atmosphere for film tourism. “Some time after filming the movie, I returned to the city. People told me that many people traveled to take photos in the places where the film was shot. As the film became so massive, Pacasmayo was enhanced. I found that beautiful. Within our own country, we need to generate film tourism. It's not something that has been explored here,” says Sánchez."
"This movie, filmed in the northern part of the country, was one of the highest-grossing Peruvian films of the 2023 season, with over a million viewers in theaters and a large quantity of followers on Netflix's Video on Demand platform. This allows the national cinema a new positioning, but also to discover and promote new experiences, such as film tourism, in locations that have everything to welcome local and foreign production companies."
Promoting locations outside the capital
"How to encourage directors and producers to explore locations outside of Lima? This is one of the big questions posed in Peruvian cinema. Regarding this, Gustavo Sánchez emphasizes the need for support from local governments as it happens in other countries. “To achieve this, we need more incentives. If you go to Valladolid, in Spain, the community provides an incentive. That generates that not everything is filmed in the capital. Thus, directors, producers, and screenwriters see that something else can be done,” he concludes.
Learn about the locations in “Single, Married, Widow, Divorced”
- Malecón Grau and its republican houses
For the fishermen of the locality, there is no prettier boardwalk in the country than that of the city. Its unique beauty lies in the neoclassical architecture of its houses, 16 of which date back to the republican era.
- Pacasmayo Pier
This is one of the most emblematic destinations in the locality. Its use marked a period of economic prosperity for the port of Pacasmayo, as it was the main customs point for local products. Today, the pier is used for artisanal fishing and as a privileged viewpoint to admire the impressive bay of the locality.
- Old Pacasmayo Railway Station
It features typical railway architecture from the republican era, with three double-leaf wooden doors and twelve windows, a dome, various ornaments made of Oregon pine wood, and displays the English locomotive Beyer Peacock, from 1913. Today, this is an interpretation center where the history of Pacasmayo and its residents is narrated.
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
This is where the image of the protector of Pacasmayo, the Virgin of Guadalupe, remains. Despite undergoing various renovations and refurbishments, this destination maintains its republican style with which it was built.
