The series marks a powerful alliance between the major Spanish streamer, Basque producer Atlantika Films and Chilean creativity and Wood Producciones Spain’s Movistar Plus continues to double down on its strategies to further amplify Spanish series and storytelling internationally with the world premiere of the highly anticipated eco-thriller “Patagonia.” Bowing at the upcoming South International Series Festival in Cádiz, the series is the latest major co-production to be boosted by the Spanish streamer and the fruit of a pioneering collaboration with Chile’s Wood Producciones and Spain’s Atlantika Films. Germany’s ZDF Studios handles international distribution for the series, which is set for release on Movistar Plus in January 2027. Led by “Money Heist” star Itziar Ituño, “Patagonia” is a six-episode series following Ituño’s Alicia, a desperate mother who travels from the Basque Country to Chile’s titular region to find her missing teenage son, Noah (Unai Arana).
As the search continues, Alicia must navigate her own family conflicts while dealing with the mysteries of the ancient forest and a dangerous illegal logging network. The series is created by Chilean writers María Elena Wood and Patricio Pereira. The former is behind Platino Prize best series winners “News of a Kidnapping” and “Dignity,” while the latter produced “Mary & Mike.” “Patagonia” is directed by Rodrigo Susarte, who recently helmed the high-concept sci-fi “Hidden Island,” featured on this year’s Berlinale Series Market Selects.
Speaking with Variety ahead of the film’s premiere, Susarte says he was drawn to the idea of an eco-thriller because it amplifies a suspense story’s core hook, which is “what we fail to see.” “I didn’t want the series to explain the climate crisis,” he adds. Maybe the real question isn’t what we’re doing to the forest, but what part of ourselves disappears along with it.” Wood adds that “Patagonia” was born from a desire “to tell a story in which a unique territory is not merely a backdrop, but a protagonist.” “We envisioned a contemporary Western set in the southern reaches of the globe—a place where extraordinary nature, isolated communities, economic interests, and deeply human conflicts coexist,” she notes. Susarte mentions his work in the series was inspired by films by Werner Herzog and Jane Campion.
The former is a particularly resonant influence given his infamous experience of shooting “Aguirre, the Wrath of God” in the depths of the Peruvian forest. When asked about the experience of shooting in Hornopirén, Susarte says it was a chance to physically experience how organisms can shape one another in nature. The weather rewrites your shooting schedule every morning, and there’s an almost philosophical lesson in learning to accept that without giving up.
Filmmaking is, at its heart, an attempt to control things. Patagonia constantly reminds you where that control ends.” The director also notes an interesting paradox that guided the shoot: “We were telling a story about the destruction of a forest while moving through it with an entire film crew.” “Shooting there demanded an awareness of the footprint we were leaving behind, of entering a space that doesn’t belong to us.” “For me, bringing ‘Patagonia’ to life between Chile and Spain has been a truly unique experience, and undoubtedly one of the most rewarding projects of my career,” notes Atlantika Films producer Nano Arrieta. From day one, we knew we were in excellent hands, with access to some of the finest crews in Chile.
On the Spanish side, we made an equally strong commitment to bringing together top-tier talent in the Basque Country.” The producer also mentions how “Patagonia” is feeding into an “incredibly exciting moment for Spanish cinema.” Arrieta brings up names like Oliver Laxe, Los Javis and Alauda Ruiz De Azúa as exponents of this new wave. Stories that don’t feel the need to apologise for being local, and platforms like Movistar Plus have understood that. What I hope is that this moment doesn’t simply end with success, that it creates room for bolder creative voices, and that the dialogue between Spain and Latin America continues to grow.” On top of launching “Patagonia,” Atlantika is currently developing “When Devils Rule,” a series based on an original idea by Arrieta and starring Oscar-nominated “Emilia Perez” actress Karla Sofia Gascón.
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