The filming, which started on the islands of Tenerife and La Palma in 2023, and which has been covered by Volcano Films, is now in its post-production phase in the studios of Netflix – the platform that opted for the proposal of the Norwegian production company Fantefilm more than four years ago
‘La Palma’, an audiovisual project by the Norwegian production company Fantefilm, has been shot under the umbrella of Volcano Films. This production company, known for successful films such as The Wave and The Quake, has been active in the new genre called Scandisaster, based on natural disasters. Specifically, in the case of La Palma, the plot will revolve around climate change and the well-known landslide theory (a theory, by the way, disproved by the Volcanology Institute of the Canary Islands, as well as by other experts in the field).
The project should have been filmed several years ago. However, out of sensitivity to the people of the island of La Palma, filming had to be halted during the eruption of the Tajogaite Volcano, and resumed several years later.
In this regard, the Norwegian producers recall how the film The Wave led to a tourism and scientific revival for the Norwegian town of Stranda, where the film was shot. The mayor of this town – Jan Ove Tryggestad – has confirmed the benefits that the shooting of this film has brought to this small town in Scandinavia.
In the case of La Palma, the economic impact of the project on the islands has been close to a ten-digit figure. Around 1,000 extras and 20 Canarian and Spanish supporting actors have been hired in front of the cameras. Approximately 100 permanent workers were needed for five months for the preparation and filming, and another 200 on a temporary basis. In addition, a host of services were required in terms of rentals, accommodation, catering, suppliers, industry and transport.
The premiere of La Palma, filmed in Norwegian, is scheduled for the end of 2024 and is expected to have a major international impact. Volcano Films, the production company that assisted Fantefilm on its tour of the islands, is delighted that the most ambitious Scandinavian audiovisual project to date bears the name of one of the islands, and that the plot is entirely set there. The impact of this series in Scandinavia may enhance La Palma’s positioning as a tourist destination in that tourist market.
Filming took place on the islands of Tenerife and La Palma. The fact that this production was partly filmed on one of the non-capital Canary Islands also boosts international interest in these islands: it confirms that it is very feasible to shoot on them, which in turn means that the Canary Islands as a film destination broadens its offer of locations and validates its competitiveness at an international level.
For several years now, the audiovisual sector in the Canary Islands has been a lifeline for various sectors on which it depends. After the end of the sector strike in the United States, we can only hope for further good years. Each production contributes to an increasingly buoyant sector and to the fact that our region offers more local professionals to international productions. Moreover, we are talking about highly qualified and wage-intensive jobs, which has a direct impact on the wealth of our archipelago and its true economic diversification.
