Documentary Filmmaker & Production in Peru (Fixer)

After working with many filming crews in Peru from different countries, these are the most common questions I usually have and I thought it would be helpful to write about them. 

1. Lunch: Having pizza, a sandwich, or a snack doesn’t count as lunch for Peruvians! Peru has been recognized as a gastronomic destination for many years, so we have high standards when it comes to food. Besides, for us it is important to have a moment to sit down and enjoy our meal. So if you are planning a shoot, please always consider at least one hour to stop and have a proper lunch! 😀 The ideal time for lunch is between 1 and 2 pm.
2. Food: Peruvian dishes usually contain a lot of carbohydrates combined together, so don’t be ashamed to order a salad outside the menu to accompany your meals!
3. Restaurants: We are not obligated to leave a certain percentage as a tip in restaurants, so the amount is entirely up to you. A proper tip could be around 10% in a high-end restaurant. In other places, depending on the location, it is up to you, and nobody is going to hate you if you leave less than that.
4. Dogs: Not all dogs on the streets are abandoned. In fact, many of them have owners, but they usually spend the day outside on their own because people often live in small apartments or houses. You can usually tell by the way the dogs look. They tend to be healthy and relaxed. This doesn’t mean there are no abandoned dogs, but that is often not the case. I’m clarifying this because many crews feel sorry for them when they see dogs on the streets, but dogs often are just fine.
5. Tips: If you want to film people on the streets, Peruvians are usually very friendly, but always ask for their permission and offer them some form of financial compensation.
6. Coca Leaves: Chewing coca leaves is a very important cultural practice and is legal for many Andean communities, so please treat it with respect when talking about it. Coca leaves are not a drug! Cocaine is, but that’s a completely different thing.
7. Friendship: Peruvians still commonly use physical descriptors as friendly nicknames, so don’t take it personally if someone calls you gring@. People often call each other chino (someone with East Asian features), flaco (thin), gordo (fat), etc., usually with good intentions as a way to refer to a close friendship.
8. Connection: Try to bring something from your country to exchange with your protagonists here, whether it’s a small gift, cookies, crackers, or another special treat from your country. In many Western countries, people tend to focus mainly on payment. While that is also important, the best way to connect with people, especially if you plan to film with them, is by sharing human moments.
9. Time: Punctuality is not always our strongest quality, so make sure to have a 30-minute buffer before an important appointment or shooting scene, just in case.
10. Drugs: Peruvians generally do not consume drugs as part of our culture or for fun, not even cigarettes. Of course, there are always small groups who are into these habits, but you generally won’t see people openly using drugs or heavily intoxicated on the streets as commonly as in some parts of Brazil, Colombia, the UK, or the USA. That was a big shock for me when I visited those countries. People do consume alcohol here, but usually on weekends as a social activity or during special occasions.

Thanks for reading me and I hope you have the best time shooting in Peru!

Lizeth