Colombia shines in international science and cinema with the filming of PBS's Amazon Extremes documentary. The team will shoot in the Tatacoa Desert in Huila, after recordings in Peru and Brazil. The production explores the Amazon's deep history and its current environmental challenges.
The documentary Amazon Extremes, an ambitious PBS production for its NOVA series, places Colombia in a starring role in global science and cinema. The team arrived in the country to capture a key stage of the project, after filming in Peru and Brazil. Among the selected locations stands out the Tatacoa Desert in Villavieja, Huila, a site that preserves millions of years of natural history.
The work explores the Amazon's deep past, from the asteroid impact that altered the planet 66 million years ago, to the uplift of the Andes mountain range and the formation of the Amazon River. Through scientific research and field expeditions, it connects these geological events to contemporary environmental challenges.
In Huila, the filming will involve national and international scientists, with the La Tatacoa Museum in La Victoria as the main hub. This museum is crucial due to its fossil findings over 25 million years old. Direction is led by British anthropologist and filmmaker Graham Townsley, while executive production is headed by Colombian Linithd Aparicio Blackburn.
This initiative highlights the Huila department as a scientific reference for global audiences and emphasizes Colombian talent in high-level projects. The news publication dates to January 24, 2026.