The Jungle's Filming Location: Why Not Bolivia?

The 2017 biographical survival drama film 'Jungle' is based on the true story of Israeli adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg's journey into the Amazon rainforest in Bolivia. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Ghinsberg and recounts his harrowing experience of being lost in the Bolivian jungle for three weeks and his subsequent rescue by locals from a nearby village. However, despite the film's setting in Bolivia, it was not filmed there. The film's cinematographer, Stefan Duscio, revealed that due to funding reasons, the filming locations were split between Queensland, Australia, and Colombia.

The film was shot in Queensland, Australia and Colombia

The 2017 biographical survival drama film "Jungle" is based on the true story of Israeli adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg's journey into the Amazon rainforest in Bolivia. While the film is set in Bolivia, it was not filmed there. Instead, it was shot in Queensland, Australia, and Colombia.

The decision to film in Queensland and Colombia was due to funding reasons. The filmmakers had to split the filming across these two locations, and both had to convincingly portray Bolivia and Peru. This posed a significant challenge for the crew, who spent weeks scouting for suitable locations that resembled the lush green rainforests and rivers of the Amazon.

In Colombia, the crew encountered dry rivers and forests, which did not align with the desired visuals for the film. They had to re-scout locations and rely on rainfall to revitalise the landscapes. The Amazon does extend into Colombia, but this area was deemed unsafe for filming due to the presence of guerrillas and the lack of accommodation for the crew.

Queensland offered more convenient filming locations, as the crew could park directly where the jungle scenes were shot. However, they had to contend with crocodiles and travel far north to find suitable rivers. The Australian filming schedule also presented a challenge, with shorter filming days and less crew compared to Colombia.

Despite these difficulties, the filmmakers successfully blended the two locations to create a visually compelling portrayal of the Amazon rainforest. The cinematography and attention to detail in "Jungle" helped bring Ghinsberg's harrowing true story to life on the big screen.

The film is based on Yossi Ghinsberg's book

The film Jungle is based on Yossi Ghinsberg's book, "Jungle: A Harrowing True Story of Adventure, Danger and Survival", which recounts his journey into the Amazon rainforest in 1981. Ghinsberg, an Israeli adventurer, travelled to Bolivia intending to explore the heart of the Amazon rainforest. The book details his harrowing experience of being lost in the rainforest for three weeks, during which he faced numerous challenges and life-threatening situations.

In the book, Ghinsberg recounts meeting Marcus Stamm, a Swiss teacher, and Kevin Gale, an American photographer, in Bolivia. They join an Austrian man, Karl Ruprechter, who claims to be a geologist and persuades them to join him on an expedition to explore uncharted territory in the Amazon. The group travels to the Tuichi River and a village called Asariamas, where they begin their journey into the jungle.

However, things start to go wrong, and the group separates. Ghinsberg and Gale decide to continue their journey downriver on a raft, while Ruprechter and Stamm plan to walk back to civilisation. Ghinsberg and Gale's raft encounters rapids, causing them to lose control and separate. Gale makes it to shore, but Ghinsberg is swept downriver and over a waterfall. He spends the next three weeks lost in the jungle, facing physical and mental challenges, including hallucinations, wild animal attacks, and injuries.

The book, published in 2006, became a bestseller and inspired a new generation of travellers. It has been translated into multiple languages and is particularly popular in Israel, where it inspired many Israelis to visit this previously undiscovered part of Bolivia.

The film adaptation of "Jungle" stars Daniel Radcliffe as Ghinsberg and was released in 2017. It was filmed in Queensland, Australia, and Colombia, with both locations chosen for their lush rainforests and rivers, which resembled the Bolivian Amazon. The film received mixed reviews, with some praising Radcliffe's performance and the thrilling scenes, while others criticised the melodrama.

The film is based on true events

The 2017 film "Jungle" is based on the true story of Yossi Ghinsberg, an Israeli backpacker who survived three weeks lost in the Amazon rainforest in Bolivia. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Ghinsberg and recounts the harrowing true story of his near-death experience.

In the early 1980s, Ghinsberg travelled to South America, where he met and became friends with Marcus Stamm, a Swiss school teacher, and Kevin Gale, an American hiker and photographer. The three were staying in La Paz, Bolivia, at an Israeli community hostel. There, they met an Austrian stranger, Karl Ruprechter, who claimed the existence of an indigenous tribe in the Bolivian Amazon that they should go and see. Ghinsberg was excited about the prospect of exploring the uncharted jungle and meeting undiscovered tribes and chose to believe Ruprechter. He convinced Stamm and Gale to join him on the expedition.

Ghinsberg, Stamm, Gale, and Ruprechter hiked through the jungle for several days, eventually arriving at a village called Asriamas, where they spent the day and stayed overnight before heading back into the jungle. However, things soon started to go wrong. Stamm began having trouble walking and discovered his feet were full of bloody sores. The group began to run out of food, and low on supplies, they had to eat monkeys. Stamm refused to eat them and grew physically weaker. After a week, he said he was in tremendous pain, but the others didn't believe him as he had been constantly complaining throughout the journey.

The group decided to abandon their journey and return to Asriamas. Upon arriving at the village, Ruprechter told them about his new plan to raft down the Tuichi River to a small gold quarry and then downriver to Rurrenabaque. With the villagers' help, they built a raft and set off downriver. However, when they reached the rapids in the San Pedro Canyon, Ruprechter told the others he couldn't swim and refused to continue.

Stamm and Ruprechter decided to abandon the journey and make the three-day hike back to civilisation, while Ghinsberg and Gale continued their journey downriver. However, their raft was soon destroyed in the rapids, and the two were separated. Gale was rescued by local fishermen after five days, but Ghinsberg spent the next three weeks lost in the jungle without supplies or equipment. He faced attacks from wild boars, poisonous snakes, and termites, and on his sixth night alone, he encountered a hungry jaguar. He also discovered worms embedded under his skin and suffered from trench foot, which left his feet bloody and infected.

Ghinsberg was finally rescued by Gale, who had returned with indigenous people to search for him, and spent the next three months recovering in a hospital. Ruprechter and Stamm were never seen or heard from again. Despite attempts by several search and rescue missions, they were never found, and there was no sign of them ever having been in the jungle.

The film faced challenges due to the dry locations in Colombia

The film *Jungle* faced challenges due to the dry locations in Colombia. The film is based on the true story of Israeli backpacker Yossi Ghinsberg, who became lost in the Amazon rainforest in 1981. The film was shot on location in Colombia and eastern Australia, with the Colombian locations chosen for their "great infrastructure" and "one of the best film infrastructures in South America".

However, the dry conditions in Colombia presented challenges for the film crew, who needed lush green rainforests and rivers for the production. The stunt coordinator for the film, John Walton, noted that the biggest challenge they faced in Colombia was the constant changes in river heights, which could result in flash flooding with little to no warning. This made it difficult to film the crucial river scenes safely, and the crew had to rely on local knowledge and support to protect the cast and crew.

In addition to the river heights, the dry conditions in Colombia resulted in dry rivers and forests, which did not match the desired aesthetic for the film. The crew had to re-scout locations and spend weeks searching for suitable spots that met their requirements. They eventually found some locations in Colombia that worked, but it was a challenging and time-consuming process.

The dry conditions in Colombia posed logistical challenges and safety concerns for the film crew, requiring them to develop pulley systems to get equipment down to the rivers and gear had to be walked in very far. Despite the challenges, the crew was able to successfully blend the Colombian and Australian locations in the final film.

The real-life Yossi Ghinsberg returned to Bolivia to help the indigenous community

Ghinsberg felt a deep sense of gratitude towards the community and wanted to give back. He understood that the community was facing challenges and wanted to help ensure their continuity. One of the main challenges was the youth leaving the remote community for jobs in more populated areas. To address this, Ghinsberg worked with the community to develop the idea of an eco-lodge, which would provide employment opportunities and support sustainable tourism.

Ghinsberg initially organized a raffle and secured sponsorships worth $10,000 USD to help get the project started. He then approached the Inter-American Development Bank and successfully secured a $1.25 million grant for the construction of a solar-powered ecolodge. The lodge was built using eco-friendly materials and traditional building techniques, with a focus on minimizing its impact on the environment.

The Chalalan Ecolodge, located on the shores of the Chalalán Lagoon and surrounded by Madidi National Park, officially opened in 1995. It has transformed the community, providing employment opportunities and supporting the preservation of traditions and customs. Ghinsberg lived with the community for three years, from 1992 to 1995, to help develop and operate the lodge. He also worked to protect the intellectual properties of the indigenous people and taught them how to protect their rights.

The lodge has received numerous awards and accolades and has welcomed approximately 800 visitors each year. It has been a successful model of sustainable tourism, with around 120 lodges in Bolivia following its example. However, the community still faces challenges, and Ghinsberg continues to work with them to address these issues. He currently serves as the resort director of the Chalalan Ecolodge and remains dedicated to supporting the indigenous community that saved his life.

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