Producer José Alberto “El Güero” Castro: “TelevisaUnivision Would Consider Producing More Projects Like Tierra de Amor y Coraje in the U.S.”

TelevisaUnivision is considering producing more projects in the U.S. following its experience with Tierra de Amor y Coraje in Arizona.

“It is a bet on the part of the company today. If the results are good, I think we will have greater capacity to work in these areas. The U.S. is very large, it has great locations and more Latinos. It is important that we give them spaces where they can also feel represented, and if these projects work and people continue to follow them, I believe the company will continue investing in producing them here,” José Alberto “El Güero” Castro told PRODU.

LOCATIONS DETERMINED THE CHOICE OF ARIZONA

For Castro, finding the right locations to frame the story of Tierra de Amor y Coraje was vital. He says he first searched in Mexico but could not find ranches with cattle and horses, along with houses where the rival families in the story could live and that were located close to one another. That was when someone suggested he visit Arizona.

“When I came to Arizona, I was amazed by the scenery and the location. What was key was finding these ranches. There is a cattle ranch where we filmed called Historic Shankle Ranch in Tubac, Arizona. It has 500 head of cattle and, right next to it, is the house where the owners live. I thought, ‘This is exactly what we need.’ Then, in the city of Tucson, there is another ranch called De los Cerros, which is a horse ranch with the house right next to all the facilities. It was very easy to secure the ranches, and that is how we made the decision,” he says.

He adds that the process was challenging because the first step involved obtaining visas. They then had to decide which crew they would work with, considering Mexico’s proximity to the border, or whether they would use all the services available in Arizona.

“We did it in a hybrid way: We brought most of the technical crew from Mexico, while here we had support in certain areas such as lighting and some grip equipment, as well as, obviously, all the peripheral services, including campers, wardrobe services, makeup and hair trucks. We brought our own makeup artists and hairstylists and wardrobe personnel, but we had local support.

“It was very nice. People welcomed us very warmly. The facilities, and above all the respect, were remarkable. When we were working in the city, people were very respectful of our work areas. They supported us, and if we needed to move, people helped facilitate that movement. It was a demanding task because we were here for almost three months. Moving everyone and having them here for that long is difficult,” he said.

He adds that approximately 85 people were involved in the production, including actors, service personnel and technicians.

ARIZONA INCENTIVES

In addition to the locations and technical and logistical support, Tierra de Amor y Coraje also benefited from a rebate, or tax incentive, from Film Tucson.

“Film Tucson has different percentages depending on the amount of investment you make, and that is the icing on the cake for all of us who work in production. That also helped us make the decision to come here,” he said.

He noted that this is a very important moment in the TelevisaUnivision merger.

“Something that helped make this project here, specifically for Hispanics who live in the U.S., including the third and fourth generations who live here, was bringing them these stories that give us identity, that speak about family unity and the way Latinos live together, allowing them to see these stories in their own surroundings rather than through that sense of nostalgia. When those who were born and raised here see their own communities represented, it gives them value and identity. I hope that by producing these stories in these settings, we can help new generations feel that these stories are also their own, that they belong to a place close to them rather than something distant,” he added.

A FAMILY STORY

The producer said one of the standout elements of Tierra de Amor y Coraje is its family story, “with very important family content centered on the relationship between the siblings.”

He also gave special mention to the two villains, played by Sergio Goyri and Iván Arana (Rogelio Barrios and Falcón).

“They make a wonderful duo within this project. The locations are incredible, the storytelling and the visual aspect are beautiful, and the work of the entire cast is very good. For me, it has been a very well-rounded project, and I hope audiences enjoy it at home,” he concluded.