The Manduševac fountain at the main square in Zagreb at nine o’clock in the morning. Women sit at the tables around the fountain and drink coffee, while police officers with German insignia patrol around. Two blue parachutes drop down right in front of the fountain. A man and a woman with a helmet emerge, and from a nearby tent a man’s voice can be heard: “Cut!” The scene was shot from the third attempt. What was it all about? Zagreb is the stage for the latest Netflix series called “Medical Police”, in which two physicians, played by Erinn Hayes and Rob Huebel, uncover a deadly virus in Brazil and the US government recruits them to travel the world to find a cure, reports Večernji List on March 18, 2019.
Although it all sounds very serious, the series is actually a comedy that will be filmed in the Croatian capital for ten days. Producer and screenwriter Krister Johnson says they were looking for locations for a long time, and Zagreb has proven to be perfect due to its authentic architecture. “The people are extremely kind, and we are delighted with your local food,” says Johnson.
Ivan Petrušić, the producer at the Welcome Production, who is in charge of the filming in Croatia, explains that Zagreb will play Riga, Florence, and even an airport in Tampa, Florida. The state archive building has already pretended to be a college, while the scene shot at Ban Jelačić Square was supposed to take place in Berlin.
“We started the cooperation in October, and Zagreb was selected because it can play several cities,” says Petrušić.
Director of the Zagreb City Tourist Board Martina Bienenfeld is happy that Zagreb will play itself in some of the scenes as well since about five per cent of European tourists choose their vacation destinations according to their favourite TV series or film.
The project also involves Croatian extras, hairdressers, assistant directors of photography and other crew members.
Zagreb has already been featured in many international productions. The best-known film shot in Zagreb is probably “Sophie’s Choice” in 1982. Since the producers have promised that their will tell their colleagues about the Croatian capital, perhaps there will be more such projects in the future as well.
Translated from Večernji List (reported by Ana Tenžera).
More news about filming in Croatia can be found in the Lifestyle section.
