Abhiroop Das
Created by Catalina Aguilar Mastretta, Netflix’s ‘Lovesick,’ or ‘Mal de amores,’ journeys alongside Emilia Sauri, a budding apothecary who dreams of becoming a doctor in early 20th-century Mexico, defying all social expectations. With 1910 marking the start of the Mexican Revolution, Emilia also gets caught up in the storm, but there seems to be an even greater worry in her heart. The love of her life, Daniel, is a sworn revolutionary who doesn’t shy away from going to the frontlines at any point, even if it means being separated from her. As their stories slowly diverge and take several twists and turns, Emilia goes from being the master of her family’s Botica Sauri apothecary to making a real impact in the most remote corners of the country. All this time, the memories of Botica Sauri and the lessons she learned there remain a constant driving force for the story.
Botica Sauri is a Fictional Place Likely Modeled After Real Apothecaries in 1910s Mexico
Botica Sauri is a fictional apothecary created by Ángeles Mastretta for her novel ‘Mal de amores,’ which serves as the basis of the Netflix adaptation. In a conversation with Prensa Libre, Ángeles described the Sauris as a family she invented specifically for this story, spending four years researching the 1910s and writing the novel simultaneously. During her research, she primarily read about how ordinary life went on in the 1910s, specifically when it came to medicinal practices. As Ángeles learned more about what sort of herbs were used and valued for their medicinal properties, and how the field had evolved over the years, she was able to create a very realistic rendition of an apothecary, all the while connecting it to the main plot.
Apothecaries, locally known as Boticas, were not an uncommon occurrence in Mexico in 1910, especially in urban regions such as Puebla, where the story is set at the start. Often, these Boticas also served as small laboratories for medicinal research, and we see this come to life in the show as well. At the same time, the early 20th century also saw a transition from Boticas to professional pharmacies, with formal instruction and licensing systems becoming more popular than the tradition of apprenticeship. As per the 1891 Sanitary Code, owners of Boticas weren’t necessarily required to hold a pharmacy, but the system slowly began to change with advancements in modern medicine. This transition is also a narrative focus of ‘Lovesick,’ as Emilia, a medical prodigy, eventually finds herself mastering both the old and new traditions.
The Crew Used Real Sets and Props to Bring Botica Sauri to Life in the Show
Adapting Botica Sauri from the pages of a novel to the screen meant imagining and adding a lot of finer details, especially when taking the larger scope of the story into account. Instead of relying on special effects, the production team decided to construct the entire Botica practically, using sets based on Ángeles Mastretta’s literary descriptions. Notably, the entire house was designed in several layers, with director Catalina Aguilar Mastretta working closely with production designer Sandra Cabriada and the rest of the team to stitch together the rooms seamlessly. One thing that helped complete the immersion was the diverse color palette of the apothecary, which makes it naturally distinct from all the other settings in the show.
While talking with Nexos, Catalina pointed out how the apothecary is described in vivid greens in the book, and accordingly, she and her team decided to make slight changes to keep the aesthetic intact. This can also be felt on a practical level, as several props, equipment, bottles, herbs, and medicines were handcrafted, and given actual labels to make the set feel as believable as possible. While Botica Sauri may be a fictional location, it is this attention to detail that makes it come to life and serve the larger themes of the show. Emilia’s journey of becoming a successful doctor in a period of continuous sociopolitical upheaval is as inspiring a story as any, and her family apothecary effectively becomes a landmark tracking this entire journey.
Read More: Is Lovesick Based on a True Story?
