Juan Carlos Oganes' film-making and work blog.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Casa de la Respuesta - New location



Casa de la Respuesta's replica at Real Felipe is our next location. The fortress is quite an interesting place full of history and the home of two things: the Museum and the 1rst Infantry Battalion Legion Peruana de la Guardia. Both reside together in the same fortress run by the Army.

The real one in Arica.
We will be filming at the replica which looks the same as the one in Arica where the Peruvian forces and Bolognesi  had his headquarters and also where he said his famous sentence to the chilean officer who asked us to give up the arms: "Tengo deberes sagrados que cumplir y los cumpliré hasta quemar el último cartucho" (I have sacred duties to fulfill and I will do so until I fire the last round). This "poetic" answer has become not only know nationwide and tough in all schools here in Peru but also worldwide known (for those who like to read world history) as one of the most brave and heroic answer of all time.
Picture of the era showing the house without the second floor.

Picture of the era showing it's second floor.
I was here 2 years ago while in pre-production as you can see here in this post. Now, in 2012 I'm back and ready to use this location. The only thing I'm finding a bit of a problem is the surroundings: it's all clean and full of modern stuff. Will have to make it look old and dusty and also replace a lot digitally with mattes and chroma keys, for building a whole block and houses around it would cost thousands of dollars and take a lot of time. Still thinking how to plan my shots in order to not give me problems later on in post. Apart from that, a new dilemma arises. A thing that has to do with historic precision. I recall reading years ago when doing my research for the film, that the house didn't have a second floor as it has now in Arica (and in the replica), but there are pictures of the era showing the second floor and another WITHOUT it. So, it is confusing as to whether it the second floor was built on it after the war or something funny is going on here. The house without it is a real picture of the actual house. No chance of confusion. So....I'm thinking of filming in certain ways to be able to have the second floor removed digitally in post if I ever learn later the truth.

I'll go on location here again with my crew now. Will stay there for a week.

The "Casa de la Respuesta"replica.
The Real Felipe fortress inside.


2 years later.

Glad to see my colonel Bolognesi again :)
One interesting fact is that the Real Felipe fortress is filled with real stories of ghost haunting and paranormal activities. Even foreign TV shows have come by to cover those topics here. The guys want to stay up late and walk by the places where most haunting happens. I asked several army people that have worked there, some good friends of mine, and I know they don;t joke when they say its true.  Let's see what happens.

0 comments: