La Palma reinforces its position as a natural set of high value for the international audiovisual industry with the hosting of the filming of the series Hostage, produced for Netflix, and Plur1bus, an ambitious fiction for AppleTV+, co-directed by the renowned creator Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul).

Although both productions are set in fictitious locations, their landscapes have been filmed in Cubo de La Galga, the Bosque de Los Tilos, Tazacorte or Santa Cruz de La Palma, which will allow the natural and architectural richness of the island to be shown to the world through the most influential streaming platforms on the current scene.

"The presence of La Palma in productions of this calibre is not only an international window for our island, but also has a direct impact on the local economy," said the president of the Cabildo Insular de La Palma, Sergio Rodríguez, who emphasised that "the commitment to the audiovisual sector is part of a strategy of economic diversification aligned with sustainable development.

Hostage is a drama series that combines psychological thriller and political tension, with a high level of international production. Plur1bus has generated great expectation for its cast, which includes Rhea Seehorn, known for her role as Kim Wexler in Better Call Saul, and for being directed by two renowned industry professionals: Vince Gilligan and Byron Howard.

Both shootings have generated an important volume of business on the island, with the hiring of local technicians, rental of services, accommodation and restaurants, thus contributing to the dynamisation of multiple sectors.

"From Sodepal, through the La Palma Film Commission, we work so that local talent and resources can form part of these productions", explained Miriam Perestelo, Councillor for Economic Promotion and delegate of Sodepal, who emphasised that "the aim is to consolidate an audiovisual ecosystem in La Palma that generates employment, knowledge and real opportunities for the future for professionals from La Palma". Perestelo adds that "the institution is working on complementary lines of action that go beyond incorporating talent from La Palma into international projects, such as strengthening the audiovisual fabric of La Palma through training and direct support for creations with La Palma authorship".

For her part, the Councillor for Tourism of the Cabildo of La Palma, Raquel Rebollo, highlighted "the promotional value of appearing in global productions. Although the scenery is not directly identified as La Palma, its image will be engraved on millions of viewers around the world, awakening interest in our unique landscapes".

Both productions have been backed by Sur Film, one of the most consolidated service production companies on the national scene, which for more than a decade has been committed to La Palma as a natural set and offers it as a strategic location to its international clients. This continuity and confidence on the part of a top-level company is evidence of the island's competitiveness in the global audiovisual market, and reinforces the territory's capacity to respond with quality, local talent and resources to the demands of major productions.

The Palma Film Commission has offered technical and logistical assistance in these projects, and continues to work to attract new film shoots that consolidate the island of La Palma as an internationally competitive audiovisual destination, and in the growth and consolidation of professionals and companies in the audiovisual sector of La Palma.