A series that reflects a tragedy. The waters of the Mediterranean have witnessed countless disappearances. The migration drama remains ongoing, and now fiction brings to television one of the pivotal events that shaped European law before and after. sea law A fishing boat in 2006 near Santa Pola rescued 51 migrants from an open-sea craft off Malta, among them a young girl and a pregnant woman.
Ciudad de la Luz wraps up filming with a series about the Francisco and Catalina ship case
It is the collaboration of actor and screenwriter Enrique Pérez Vergara, known as Flipy, produced by Valencia’s RTVE, Punt and Studio60. The miniseries comprises three episodes of roughly sixty minutes each and will air in prime time on À Punt on Mondays and Tuesdays next week. A national date on La 1 de Televisión Española remains to be announced.
The event brought together the cast at the Puerta de Alicante Mall Yelmo Cines for the premiere, directed by Alberto Ruiz Rojo and starring Luis Tosar, Blanca Portillo, Sonia Almarcha, Pau Durà and Carlos Serrano. Pepi, the wife of the ship’s captain Pepe Durá, attended the screening, seeking to witness the first part of the three-part production in a full hall. The aim was to highlight one of the most significant recent migrations crises cases and its story.
Director Alberto Ruiz Rojo is candid about the decision to film much of the footage aboard a fishing boat. He explains that while many advised avoiding real-water footage, the crew captured extensive material at sea instead of using a water tank, noting that something special happens when the ship sails and the sea becomes part of the story.
The ship’s crew rescued fifty migrants and brought them to the nearest port in accordance with maritime law. This marked the first rescue in international Mediterranean waters, and authorities and European legislation took time to determine the proper course of action. Nine days passed while diplomacy unfolded, during which more than sixty people shared a tiny space of fifty square meters.
Filming begins on “Sea Law,” which will come to Ciudad de la Luz in June
Those nine days were documented over 18 days of filming. Despite the claustrophobic atmosphere, actor Victor Clavijo notes a positive working environment, largely thanks to the leadership of director Alberto Ruiz Rojo.
Based on real events
The advantage of crafting fiction from real events lies in giving voice to the people who lived them. Pepi, the ship captain’s wife who issued the rescue order, was present at the Alicante event. The character of Pepi is embodied on screen by Sonia Almarcha, who speaks to the weight of portraying someone who lived through this moment.
Almarcha emphasizes the responsibility of portraying Pepi and highlights the project’s important message: it humanizes the crisis and honors the real figures who faced the decisions. The cast agrees that Pepi remains a central, courageous figure in a story that teaches empathy and resilience.
Pepi reflects on the experience, praising the casting choice and noting the many emotions involved. He also uses the moment to advocate for policies that support people in peril, reminding audiences that the situation remains relevant. A standing ovation from Pepe Durá’s wife and a warm greeting from actor Luis Tosar punctuated the screening.
Filmed in Alicante
The miniseries was shot in locations across Alicante, Santa Pola, and Madrid, and now moves into a new phase at Ciudad de la Luz. Fermín Crespo, the complex’s general manager, describes the project as a milestone that signals a bright future for Valencian audiovisual production and positions the region as a premier European shooting location.
Alfred Costa, managing director of À Punt, underscores the value of Alicante in enabling this project and the broader potential of co-production. He highlights how the Valencian audiovisual sector is stepping onto the national and international stage with a new path that strengthens public radio and television’s reach.
Actor Lamine Thior, who plays one of the immigrants saved by Francisco and Catalina, honors the extras who brought realism to the scenes, describing their contribution as essential and emphasizing that many extras performed without lines yet carried strong emotional weight.
A fascinating story
The project owes its existence to Enrique Pérez Vergara, known as Flipy. A chance encounter with a documentary sparked the idea, and the belief that a deeply human story could be distilled into a compact, compelling format helped push the project forward.
À Punt previews the series “The Law of the Sea” with Luis Tosar and Blanca Portillo in Alicante
The transition from real events to fiction requires narrative refinements. Screenwriter Tatiana Rodríguez notes the heavy responsibility of portraying real lives while retaining dramatic tension. He adds that he enjoyed full creative freedom across the three-episode script. After a preview at the Puerta de Alicante shopping mall, À Punt announced that the first two episodes would air on a Monday, with the finale scheduled for the following Tuesday evening.