Since it was founded Open Arms, the NGO has saved thousands of people from dying at sea. The Mediterranean film It reveals to us what those beginnings were like. In 2015, rescuers Oscar and Gerard decided to go to the Greek island of Lesbos to rescue refugees. in the midst of the humanitarian tragedy caused by the Syrian war. The film, starring Eduardo Fernandez, Dani Rovira and Anna Castillonarrates a true story of two men who, moved by the very harsh image of a Syrian child drowned on a beach in Lesbos, did not hesitate to travel to Greece to help those whom no one was helping, the thousands of refugees who were trying to achieve a better life on this other side of the Mediterranean. With the arrival of Mediterranean (2021) to the catalog of RTVE Playwe review some curiosities of the film and anecdotes of the filming.
Inspired by the image that broke Europe’s hearts
Half the world felt their hearts change when they saw the image of Aylanthe three-year-old Syrian boy who was found drowned on a beach in 2015 when he was trying to reach Europe. That chilling moment, a reflection of a bloody war, provoked rage and helplessness at seeing how an innocent being – one of many – suffered the consequences of an absurd adult world. Those feelings were the same ones that went through Gerard Canals and Oscar Camps, the two volunteers who founded Open Arms, played by Dani Rovira and Eduard Fernández in the film.
Interview Eduard Fernández and Anna Castillo present ‘Mediterranean’ (2021)
A risky shoot on the high seas
The film was shot almost entirely outdoors and at sea. The most complex scenes were those showing the rescues. There were many hours of filming and with the movement of the sea it was very difficult to maintain the continuity of the scenes. The actors had to work in the water for a large part of the shoot, often suffering cold and unpleasant situations. Nothing compared to what the thousands of people who have lost their lives in the Mediterranean really suffered. This idea always hovered over the actors, who always maintained that what they experienced was nothing compared to reality. There were 4 days at sea that were the most complex. Luckily, the team found a beach where, no matter how far inland you went, people were still able to stand, which made filming easier.
Dani Rovira in ‘Mediterranean’
…and risk on land
Without looking for the documentary, the objective of Mediterranean The aim was to be as realistic as possible, but sometimes compromises had to be made. The film was originally to be shot in Lesbos, in real locations, but a few weeks before the shoot, a group of neo-Nazis showed up at the Moria camp and riots began, so the Greek producer ordered us to leave. If they found out that they were making a film about refugees, we would be the target of their attacks. The team looked for locations that were as similar as possible and ended up in an area of Eastern Attica.
The real characters who acted as extras
Some of the extras in the film were Syrian refugees who had recently experienced what is described in the film. There were three casting people, one of them Syrian, who were present during the shooting with the directors to give them orders. These people were in charge of choosing all the extras in the refugee camps and, with them, a psychologist worked to see if they could or could not relive those traumatic moments in their lives, since many of them had been severely affected.
Winner of three Goya awards
Mediterranean moved and convinced critics and audiences. A recognition that translated into three Goya awards, including Best Song for María José Yergo for her song The sea awaits you. In addition, the film won two more Goyas for Best Photography and Production Direction.
‘Mediterráneo’ wins the 2022 Goya for best original song by composer Maria José Llergo
Dani Rovira’s return to cinema after overcoming cancer
He admits that he arrived at the shoot with a lot of insecurities. “I hadn’t worked on a film for a long time and I was returning to one surrounded by an incredible cast,” he says. Among them, Eduard Fernández, who plays Oscar Camps; Anna Castillo, who plays his daughter, Esther Camps; and Sergy López. “They have made me a better actor,” says Rovira.
