Aahana Swrup
Netflix’s ‘La Palma’ is a Norwegian/Spanish disaster show that centers around the active volcanic region of the titular island. In the tale, the audience follows the narrative of multiple characters—from Sara and her family vacationing on the island to local researchers. These are individuals whose lives are inextricably put in the path of danger as the island’s seismic activity threatens to lead to a devastating tsunami. Among the central characters, Marie Ekdal remains the first to notice the dangers brewing beneath the island’s surface. As a newbie in the research lab, her intense opinions are initially dismissed.
However, as the mountain exhibits proof of its deadly demise, the authorities have to rush through an evacuation plan to ensure the safety of hundreds of lives. Throughout the narrative, Marie and La Palma Geological Institute drive the show’s storyline that leads up to the looming disaster. As a result, their possible connections to reality become intriguing.
La Palma Geological Institute Is Possible a Reference to La Palma Research Centre
Even though the central island and its volcanic nature in ‘La Palma’ are connected to reality, its depiction of the rapidly escalating tsunami isn’t based on an actual disaster that took place in real life. As a result, the relationship between the on-screen elements and their potential origins off-screen remains varied. La Palma Geological Institute, as portrayed in the show, doesn’t exist in real life. The story’s natural disaster scenario is a fictionalization that is inspired by the nightmare scenarios attached to La Palma Island.
For years now, a theory has persisted about the possibility of the Cumbre Vieja’s western flank sliding into the ocean and causing a megatsunami in its wake. However, experts have since discredited the likelihood of this theorized disaster. According to Dutch scientists at Delft University of Technology, the proposed scenario would only take place thousands of years into the future—if ever. Therefore, the chances of the megatsunami’s activation in the near future remain slim to none. As such, since the show operates on a scientifically rocky theory, it similarly fictionalizes other aspects around it.
La Palma Geological Institute is the local independent research organization that is at the center of the events in tracking and monitoring the on-screen natural disaster scenario. Consequently, much like the scenario itself, the organization, too, remains fictitious. It is likely that the on-screen Institute is a counterpart to La Palma Research Centre (LPRC), a real-life organization situated in Isla de La Palma, Canary Islands. LPRC is in charge of research in the fields of geoscience, environmental, and others. Nevertheless, since there aren’t any official ties connecting the real organization to the on-screen Institute, the latter is confined to the show’s fictionalized narrative.
La Palma Fictionalizes Marie Ekdal’s Character
Marie Ekdal’s character is intricately tied with the central disaster plotline in ‘La Palms.’ Consequently, Marie’s connection to the fictionalized volcanic/tsunami disaster also renders much of her storyline a work of fabrication. Since there hasn’t been a disaster scenario in La Palma Island like the one depicted on-screen, there also hasn’t been a researcher with experiences similar to Marie’s. For the same reason, her character becomes another product of the show’s fictional plotline.
Nevertheless, Marie’s narrative strives for a sense of realism by infusing her character with relatable experiences. While her work at La Palma Geological Institute is instrumental to her story, the researcher also boasts a profound relationship with her Erik. This brother-sister dynamic is a key element of her tale, defining her emotional arc as she attempts to survive the disaster her research had predicted. Marie and Erik are both previous survivors of a tsunami. As such, once the researcher is confronted with the natural disaster again, it brings back the severity of her traumatic past. The show authentically portrays Marie’s frazzled state and protectiveness over her brother in the situation, highlighting her character’s realism. Thus, even though her relation to La Palma Island’s geological landscape cements her fictionality, Marie retains a level of relatability through other aspects of her story.
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