Photo by The New York Times / Pablo Arellano/Netflix One Hundred Years of Solitude : a sustainable audiovisual production.
Netflix's One Hundred Years of Solitude series was notable for achieving a milestone in the audiovisual industry in Colombia, bringing one of the most fascinating works of universal literature to the small screen. But what not many know is that it also highlighted for being a sustainable and environmentally committed production, protecting the spaces where the series was filmed and hiring national talent. Discover these and other key factors that made this project a sustainable audiovisual production.
The social impact of Netflix's Macondo
Being a high-budget production with high requirements in infrastructure and creativity, among other aspects, it was necessary to have a robust team full of talent. This is why hundreds of jobs were created for its development.
Photo by Marie Clarie, Mauro González / Netflix 
Photo by The New York Times / Federico RiosThe production team was made up of 900 people, mostly Colombians, who were joined by more than 150 artisans. It was also made up of high-level designers, as was the case of Catherine Rodríguez, who was accompanied by 60 professionals to create the costumes.
In addition, more than 10,000 profiles were considered for the team of actors who would be part of the series. A process that resulted in a group composed of 97% national talent.
All this contributed to position the series as a sustainable production in terms of its social impact, as the number of jobs generated plus the interest in Colombian talent contributed to Colombia's social development.
In addition, the mobilization of such a large team required the reservation of more than 100,000 hotel nights, boosting the hotel industry and sustainable tourism in the country.
he care of nature
The series was filmed in 22 municipalities in the country of beauty, in spaces full of nature and life. For this reason, the responsible use of the spaces was so important for the production team.
The Colombian landscapes that shone so brightly in Netflix's Macondo were cared for and preserved. More than two dozen trees were planted and the swarms that were in the filming locations were carefully relocated in ideal places for the bees. The worm farming and composting practices were also carried out to enrich the soil, which not only served the development of the production, but also had a positive environmental impact and an ecological filming.
Photo taken from The New York Times / Federico Rios The responsible use of plastics
The use of plastics was another factor considered when filming and producing the series. As a result, the use of single-use plastics was minimized, following Colombia's policies on this issue, since July 2024, with Law 2232 of 2022, the use of certain goods made with this material was prohibited.
Renewable energy was also present
It was not unexpected that renewable energy was used for this audiovisual production, as Colombia has a developed infrastructure in this area. Thanks to the geographical advantages of the country, this has been a sector that has grown strongly in recent years. The water currents, the power of the sun and the strength of the winds on the coasts of our country have made Colombia a central axis of this sector in the region and the world.
Photo by The New York Times / Federico Rios In this case, solar panels were installed to take advantage of the sun, which contributed electricity to the filming of One Hundred Years of Solitude , reaffirming sustainability in every part of the process.
Sustainability was also in the details
Every detail of this audiovisual production bears a seal of sustainability. An example of this is the construction of the set itself, whose walls were made with sustainable materials such as rice husks.
In addition, Macondo, the mythical town of Colombian literature, was built by the artisans who participated in the project. This makes every street we see during the chapters the effect of a positive social impact.
Why was this sustainable development approach given to the series?
One of the main factors that motivated the sustainability of this ambitious audiovisual production was the focus on sustainable development in Colombia. The country has established itself as one of the leaders in this area after committing to the Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the United Nations.
In addition, in recent years incentives have been created for sustainable investments, benefiting investors in Colombia who enter the country with projects that have a positive environmental impact. Giving them benefits mainly in costs.
Finally, national industries have opted for a business sustainability approach, rethinking their production chain for this purpose. Learn more about the series and discover how Macondo, inspired by the country of beauty, shows what is fascinating about Colombia by checking our website or watching the docuserie.
