Finding Sanctuary

Spanish sci-fi series Santuario (Sanctuary) deals with contemporary themes in a futuristic world where pregnant women shelter from the planet’s pollution. Director and exec producer Rodrigo Ruiz Gallardón tells DQ how it was made.

Set in a futuristic world where pregnant women are sheltered from the Earth’s pollution in massive protective domes, Santuario (Sanctuary) deals with no end of contemporary themes, from the dangers of technological advancement to climate change.

It’s in one Sanctuary that viewers meet Pilar (Lucía Guerro), who arrives three months pregnant and soon finds herself coming to terms with the strange environment built to protect her and other expectant mothers following a global climate disaster. Meanwhile, AI engineer Valle (Aura Garrido) has very clear values, but when she’s offered a job at the Sanctuary, she must reconsider her ideals.

An Atresmedia TV production in collaboration with Pokeepsie Films for Spanish streamer Atresplayer, the show is based on the podcast of the same name from writers Manuel Bartual and Carmen Pacheco. Montse García and Rodrigo Ruiz-Gallardón are the executive producers, with Álex de la Iglesia and Carolina Bang producing. Atresmedia Sales is the distributor.

Here, Ruiz-Fallardón, who also directs with Zoe Berriatúa, tells DQ more about the series after it was among 17 shows selected for the Berlinale Series Market Selects at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year.

Introduce us to the series.
Sanctuary is a science-fiction series consisting of eight episodes that address current issues such as the dangers of technological advancement, climate change and fertility problems.

What kind of world do we see in the show, and who do we meet?
The first episodes take place in the Sanctuary, a place where pregnant women go to carry their pregnancies to term. The outside world is so polluted that all pregnancies end in miscarriage. These Sanctuaries are designed like luxury spas, providing pregnant women with every imaginable comfort. However, despite all the care and attention, we sense an artificial and oppressive atmosphere from the start through our protagonist, Pilar.

Pilar is our Alice, and the Sanctuary is Wonderland. She is new to the Sanctuary. We make her an observer to introduce the rules of this world. From the very beginning, she feels uneasy – she knows something is not what it seems. Valle, the woman in charge of the wellbeing of the pregnant women, is hiding something.

As the series unfolds, our protagonists will join forces to escape the Sanctuary and uncover the truth about the outside world.

What can you tell us about how the story unfolds?
The story is not told in a linear timeline but through the perspectives of its characters. In the first two episodes, we enter this world through Pilar’s eyes, with her perception of reality limited by how she interprets it. However, starting in episode three, the narrative shifts to Valle’s perspective, taking us back in time to uncover the truth about this world – one we previously saw in a subjective and highly distorted way. Both protagonists exist in the same time and space, yet their realities are completely different.

How did you join the project?
The series is based on a podcast of the same name. I joined the project when we began adapting the podcast into an audiovisual format. The script development and production design had to go hand in hand to create a project that was both coherent and aligned with the production budget.

What was your interest in the story and the world of the show?
Having the opportunity to create a world with its own rules and using it to fictionalise real-world issues from an entirely imagined place.

What were your initial ideas about how you would film the series?
The challenge was to create a world that felt clean, pleasant and comfortable, yet at the same time artificial, overwhelming and oppressive. Everyone is so happy but something feels off. It’s like living inside Instagram – everything is perfect, but none of it feels real. ‘I don’t belong, and all I want to do is vomit just to stain the pristine white walls around me.’

How did you work with the writers and producers to develop the show?
The collaboration was very close. The writers created the world in the podcast and faced the challenge of translating it into the audiovisual medium. As the executive producer of the series, my role was a mix between ‘budget censor’ and ‘enabler.’

Is there a way you like to work with actors?
Yes, I like to give them a lot of freedom – to let them take ownership of their characters, to challenge me if they feel a line shouldn’t be said or a gesture shouldn’t be made. I want them to be the ones shaping their roles. I believe that throughout the entire journey with them, the most important decision a director makes regarding an actor is the moment they are cast. After that, the character should be led by the actor, not the director.

How did you decide to use the camera? Did you lean into the genre in any way?
To create that sense of artificiality, I wanted the camera movements to feel counterintuitive. We’re all accustomed to a certain audiovisual language, and unconsciously we’ve established rules that satisfy us when followed or frustrate us when broken. My idea was to tap into that unconscious frustration.

Where was the series filmed and how did you use locations on screen?
Architecture plays a fundamental role in the series. I wanted it to be another narrative element. To achieve this, we scouted buildings and exteriors across Spain that fit the script’s needs. The Sanctuary alone was filmed in more than seven different locations, and seamlessly blending these spaces together was one of the series’ biggest challenges.

What challenges did you face in production?
Time. The shooting schedule was incredibly tight, and we had to film a high volume of scenes each day. To maximise our time on set, we carried out meticulous preparation, which allowed the team to work like a well-oiled machine.

Why might the series appeal to international viewers?
One of the advantages of science fiction is that it is universal. With its own set of rules, it connects with different cultures. The viewer doesn’t identify with the project because they are familiar with the setting or the characters’ behaviour, but because they empathise with the problems the characters face.

tagged in: Atresmedia Sales, Atresmedia TV, Atresplayer, Pokeepsie Films, Rodrigo Ruiz Gallardón, Sanctuary, Santuario