Fitzcarraldo (1982) – Filming Locations
Drama / Adventure · Directed by Werner Herzog · Starring Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale
Fitzcarraldo is a dreamer who plans to build an opera house in Iquitos, in the Peruvian Amazon, so, in order to finance his project, he embarks on an epic adventure to collect rubber, a very profitable product, in a remote and unexplored region of the rainforest.
Where was Fitzcarraldo filmed?
- Iquitos, Peru, Iquitos – Primary setting where Fitzcarraldo pursues his opera house dream and navigates the Amazon. The remote Amazonian city served as the base for production and primary setting; Herzog chose the actual Amazon rather than studio sets to achieve authenticity
- Ucayali River, Peru, Iquitos – The legendary river journey where the steamship is hauled over the mountain pass. Herzog actually filmed the climactic steamship sequence on this real river, famously pulling a 320-ton boat up a mountain using real machinery rather than special effects
- Pucallpa, Peru, Pucallpa – Key location in Fitzcarraldo's river journey and interactions with local river communities. This actual Peruvian river port town was used for sequences depicting Fitzcarraldo's navigation of the Amazon basin and dealings with riverboat operators
- Contamana, Peru, Contamana – Scenes depicting the interior river communities and Fitzcarraldo's encounters with local people. This remote Amazonian settlement provided an authentic backdrop for depicting the indigenous and frontier communities along Fitzcarraldo's journey