Isla Perdida is the latest film from Oscar-winning director Fernando Trueba. This project, which has already premiered in Colombia and Spain, sees Trueba collaborating once again with Caracol Televisión as a co-producer. The two previously worked together on the 2020 film El Olvido que Seremos.
Trueba approached Caracol Televisión about joining the project after deciding he wanted to include Colombian talent in the film. This led to the involvement of actors like Juan Pablo Urrego, director of Photography Sergio Iván Castaño, and Art director Diego López.
“We should be open to producing films everywhere, and I think that’s perfectly reasonable. This kind of collaboration between Spain and Latin America should happen more frequently. I love it because we share so much, not just the language, that I believe we’re natural collaborators and partners,” Trueba told PRODU.
Isla Perdida was filmed on a Greek island between September and November 2022. This allowed the filmmakers to capture different lighting conditions throughout the seasons, a crucial element of the thriller.
The director remarked, “Sergio Iván Castaño did an exceptional job of styling the lighting and color to convey the distinct atmosphere of each scene in the film. Meanwhile, with Diego López, we explored numerous locations to find the perfect setting. We were seeking a Greece that felt more unsettling and isolated.”
Isla Perdida, like Trueba’s films in general, eschews technical extravagance or special effects, instead concentrating on the narrative. “Creating compelling characters, engaging dialogue, and a captivating plot is what I find most intriguing. And in a film of this genre, visual storytelling is crucial, as Hitchcock understood so well. This genre doesn’t allow you to place the camera randomly; you must always find the perfect vantage point from which to unfold the story.”