Authenticity was an important consideration for We Were the Lucky Ones, which was filmed in Europe to evoke the aesthetic and architecture of a city caught in a terrible conflict. The true story, based on the book by Georgia Hunter, tells of a Jewish family separated during WWII who strive against terrible obstacles to reunite.
Where was We Were the Lucky Ones filmed?
Romania
Cinematographer Ruairi O’Brian, who worked on the series, revealed that most of the filming took place in Bucharest, Romania. This was probably due to the look of the iconic city, which has architecture and locations that could easily double for Poland and provide authenticity for the show. On his personal site, O’Brian reveals that he shot three of the eight episodes.
Spain
An article in SUR reveals the location work that took place in Spain. Many scenes were filmed in Marbella and Malaga City. Filming in Spain is easily accessible and with the right set dressing, it is easy to use the existing locations and create the perfect set for the period drama. One local building on the main street was turned into a bookbinding shop that can be seen in the show, complete with new signage in Portuguese, and Calle San Juan was cleverly transformed into an area of Brazil.
SUR would go on to report that many extras were seen in full costume at the Marbella Club Hotel: “A number of extras dressed in period costumes and soldiers from the 1940s could be seen strolling around the club as well as Lihi Kornowski (Crimes of the Future) and Logan Lerman (star of the Percy Jackson saga).”
We Were the Lucky Ones Production Timeline
The series is based on the novel of the same name by Georgia Hunter, published in 2017. The book was based on the meticulous research done by the author over ten years, and when the show was green-lit, Hunter was approached to help during the show’s production.
- Filming started in December 2022 and continued through the Spring of 2023, with post-production afterward.
- We Were the Lucky Ones will officially debut on Hulu on March 28th, 2024.
Is We Were the Lucky Ones based on a true story?
We Were the Lucky Ones is based on the real-life struggles of the family of the book’s author, Georgia Hunter. Over ten years, Hunter would research the story of her family’s struggle for survival during WWII.
In an exclusive interview with People, Hunter explained: “I went into this particular project as a family historian, not really as an author. I had never written a book before, so I set out in 2008 to unearth and record the family story.” Her research saw her interviewing scholars on the subject, as well as her family members, and she would also work with showrunner Erica Lipez and director Thomas Kail, who were happy to have the author on board during the production of the series.
