Maclennan as Baquedano

Now, after a few weeks wait, I finally met with respected and well-known Argentinian-Peruvian actor Gustavo Maclennan. I want him to play Chilean General Baquedano.

Watching TV as I went into my teens in the 80's, he appeared in all of the most important shows and dramas of that decade before departing for fifteen years back to Argentina in early 90's.

He is back to Peru now since a year or two and I am very happy to have him on-board my film.

A true legend.

Got a cool idea

This last weekend, as I was rewriting the script part where Guillermo Moore has his flashbacks when he runs aground the "Independencia", I figured it would be more dramatic if I showed the moment as the metal and wooden walls of the ship brake apart letting sea water rush in.

First, dropped by the Navy Museum to check on scale models of the real ships and see what type of structure was needed to make it look real. Admiral Casaretto heard my idea and was nice to offer some suggestions. I told him my plan to have the aerial shots of the ship be done either CGI or scale model and/or a mixture of both. Im still looking for a good CGI guy who can pull this off fine. Computer work its either done good or not done. Cheap CGI looks ridiculous.

Later, dropped by the Navy Base and called Commander Llosa to ask him if the old ship I went to days ago had compartments that could be filled with water. He suggested some others that could work for the idea. Also some training center the Navy has to teach and train marines Damage Control. Finally, after checking it...it seems I will be able to make this scene work!!

Like Hannibal Smith used to say: "I love it when a plan comes together!" (by the way, the 2010 A-Team adaptation is coming out to theaters now. Mmm...the good ol' 80's).
:)

The "Independencia" ship scale model.


Guillermo Moore













More work still...and 2 months aprox before filming starts.

Uniforms progress

Tinting uniforms after having them made. Still need to find a cheaper place to do the next lot. Just tried with a bunch of pants and so far it looks good. It will then go thru an "aging process" as I like to call it (mop the floor with it, throw mud and soil on them to make them look heavily-used by soldiers in months of wartime in the desert).

Now, the piling up of similar-looking wardrobe is making my place look like an army warehouse or a movie set wardrobe/prop department.


This is so exciting!

BAP Ferré at Navy Base

Guillermo Moore, one of the Naval heroes in the Pacific War had one incident that haunted his last days of existence: the sinking of the Peruvian battleship under his command: BAP Independencia. As it's told in history, while chasing the Chilean ship Covandonga, it hit an undersea rock that wasn't in the nautical charts and it run aground. The smaller Covadonga -noticing this- turned around and began to bomb the ship taking it out completely. Commander Moore after this incident, was under the spotlight politically and was sued for losing the ship. Being infamous for it, he looked for ways to clean his name of shame thru dangerous endeavors that would salvage his honor. That's why he was stationed in Arica and fought in this battle where he lost his life next to Bolognesi.

My script involves some scenes where he has flashbacks recalling those moments when he run aground. I needed then an old ship that I could alter to make it look like one of that era.

My friend, Commander Juan Carlos Llosa, suggested me to give a check to the old Peruvian battleship BAP Ferré stationed in the Naval Base of Callao. It's years since I've been there so, it will be fun to be back and see the gigantic destroyers and ships. I drove around slowly and felt some kind of national pride to see how many good ships we have and in good conditions. Of course the one's I was seeing here were just some of the many around the coasts of Peru in naval bases and in deep sea assignments.
Anyway...back to BAP Ferré. It's one of the oldest ships around here and being long-time "retired", it's slowly being "cannibalized" and dismantled, leaving just several structures intact that keeps the "look" of the era.

The only bad thing is that this ship is from around World War II not from the 19th century.

I gave it a look in and outside to see what areas could be used if decorated and furbished as the old vessel and found some spaces that I could use.

I think it will be quite a challenge to make things look much older than it already is and recreate the scenes where he is being bombarded by the Covandonga and the water is coming flooding the lower levels of the ship. Here are some pics. to show a glimpse of what I saw aboard. I guess I will have to use CGI for some canon-shot takes and aerial shots.

Radio interview: Radio Capital 96.7

Today I had an interview at Radio Capital.
Carlos Carlin leads his own show and the hour was full of questions that helped clear a lot of doubts in the audience who had live-talk with me.

It was a such a good feeling to know the general population supports an idea for a film like this one.
More interviews are coming!

One thing I must add. I can still notice a certain concept in the Peruvian population of how we have grown being taught about the war we had and how both countries have raised our children to belittle the other nation. Kinda like embedding in their heads how good we were and how bad they've been. I can say with a certain reasons now (and to a certain degree of knowledge after researching 6 years on this topic) that yes...when at war, men do show their best and worst elemental side. The most primitive of survival and destruction takes place. Anger and hate mesh with love and sacrifice. It's definitely an odd mixture...a mixture I want to portray in this film I'm about to do.

And it's only just a few months away!
Better run fast in all the aspects of it.

Getting picky on the uniforms details

The six years of research took me to study even the details of how certain battalions and regiments wore their garments. From similar fabrics (but cheaper of course...the cost of the uniforms is running in the thousands already), to the adornments and the buttons with the Peruvian and Chilean insignia, be it from the army or from the navy.

So far, I got both covered!
Those little things are hard to get. And they are not cheap either.

More materials

Military school Leoncio Prado.
I found interesting stuff in here.

Army is in...finally.

The Army is in...finally.

After so much hurdles, persistence is rewarded.

And more wardrobe progress

Now, today was a follow up on the soldier's uniforms progress.

This time more detail was added to them like straps, holsters, belts, bayonet holders and also the bullet carriers.

Didn't have the backpacks handy so next session will be with it.

The hats aren't made yet though but....so far, so good!

Soldiers uniforms prototype progress

Today, after having that wonderful news reach my ears, eyes and heart (receiving another letter of approval), headed down to my workshop to check on the soldiers uniform prototype making.

Much to my surprise they made it close to how it was given to them in design.
The results are as presented here.

The uniforms are replicas of what was found on-site at the Arica battle conforming to most of the Peruvian regiments and battalion's (Cazadores de Pierola, Granaderos de Tacna, etc.) and the Chilean's 3ro and 4to de Linea.

The Navy is in!

Finally...the Navy said yes!
I got the approval from the commander in chief himself formally!
Now the Police and Navy are on board.

Just to fix some stuff and it's all good.
:)

Time is getting close for filming time!

Sarmiento as Lagos

Having most of the actors that will play the Peruvian heroes covered, I'm focusing on the Chileans now.
Again, I'm sticking to physical similarities but also on actors that can portray the energy and character that I've researched each hero had.

So, for the temperamental and strong-headed colonel Pedro Lagos I could not make a better choice than to call Pepe Sarmiento.

I met him 6 years ago while doing a theater play together (doing "The Little Prince" at the Segura Theater where he played the Businessman character). He is a very good actor. Having that deep commanding voice and that presence, I found him suitable to play Lagos. I took a picture of us with the Chilean officer in the computer screen and as you can see, he does look similar.

He was more than happy to be in the film. In fact, he happens to have Chilean family (his mother was Chilean)
We shuffled actor names that could play General Baquedano and a couple of names came to mind....specially one.

And he happens to be back in Lima after being in Argentina for years.
I think the stars are aligning for me!!

Improvised "measures"

An improvised, quick, rushed taking of measurements for the wardrobe.

I called my wardrobe friend and she happened to be close to where I was so she took measurements of Eduardo and Havier who was around.
He was flying out of Lima to promote a film he is in so I had to rush with him before he left.

People were watching us on the street but...who cares.