Imagining Lima on Film

Did you know the capital city of Peru is a desert where you don’t get heat exhaustion – you surf, instead?

Wait. What?  

If it sounds perfect, that’s because it is. Lima is the world’s third largest desert city, located within spitting distance of the Pacific Ocean. As a filmmaker, Lima offers a surreal, unique mix – one where you can move from sleek, modern apartments into a gritty, historic ports in one take.

Peru is a country of extreme multiversity, from desert to rivers and rainforest, so it makes sense that the capital city personifies that diversity. These multitudes are the reason Lima is such an exciting location to film in. The city of Lima is split into many different districts, such as Barranco, Miraflores, and Callao. Let’s explore them through the lens of filmmaking:

Miraflores offers classy skyline views and one-tone architecture. The district is home to beautiful palm trees and polished, concrete streets. It’s the place to go if your character is anything like Tony Montana from Scarface and wants to smoke idly whilst rolling through Miami-style streets in a 1963 Cadillac.

Barranco,  in contrast, is where your character can explore themselves through the medium of colour. Republican, colonial influence meets Latin extravagance, the district of Barranco is a rustic, bohemian district with multicultural architectural influences. Barranco is reminiscent most of a Sean Baker film, adolescent rainbow colours, childish abandon. The multicoloured jewel in Lima’s crown, Barranco is the place to explore if you want your film to feature every colour of the rainbow.

Finally, Callao. Does your character want a gritty, dockland end… like Terry Malloy did, in On The Waterfront?  Callao is known for its maritime port, as well as island regions such as La Punta, a peninsula home to three beaches. Whether it’s a sandy showdown or a noir dockland conclusion your character seeks, Callao is the place.

Are you looking for the perfect location for your next project? Whatever your story needs, a splash of colour, nearly-Miami skylines or dockland views, Lima has it all. Pick your district or use them all! GoPeru Films is here to make it happen for you.

Salud!