Naman Shrestha
Based on the tragic Cesium-137 accident that rattled Brazil in 1987, Netflix’s ‘Radioactive Emergency’ is a Brazilian historical thriller drama series created by Gustavo Lipsztein. The narrative revolves around the discovery of a radiotherapy device in an abandoned hospital in Goiânia, which led to the spread of the radioactive material Cesium-137 across the city. A catastrophic cycle of events unfolds as the contamination results in the loss of many lives.
While the scientists work to prevent a radioactive disaster, the doctors do their best to save as many lives as possible. In the race against time, an entire family is deeply affected by the accident. Originally titled ‘Emergência Radioativa,’ the biographical show features stellar performances from Johnny Massaro, Paulo Gorgulho, Ana Costa, Bukassa Kabengele, Alan Rocha, Marina Merlino, William Costa, and Clarissa Kiste. Set in 1987, the tragedy unfolds in Goiânia, Brazil, with visuals that accurately depict the effects of the radioactive accident.
Radioactive Emergency Filming Locations
Although the true events took place in Goiânia, Brazil, the shooting for ‘Radioactive Emergency’ was conducted primarily in São Paulo, Brazil. According to reports, principal photography for the Netflix production got underway in June 2025. About three months later, filming was seemingly wrapped in September of the same year. Director Fernando Coimbra opened up about his experience of directing several episodes, stating, “I had the honor of taking over general directing and sharing episode direction with @iberecarvalho as well as collaborating on the scripts. I could count on collaboration of a dream team of cast and crew. I want to thank everyone who dedicated themselves tirelessly to this project. Met a lot of new people, got back to work with people I hadn’t worked with in a long time and also frequent partners.”
São Paulo, Brazil
A major chunk of ‘Radioactive Emergency’ was lensed in and around São Paulo, which doubled as Goiânia. Various locales of the capital city of the eponymous state were turned into film sets for the taping of numerous key portions of the biographical series. Given the city’s vastness and versatility, the makers were able to transform it into Goiânia of the late 1980s. Several historical landmarks likely feature in the backdrop of several outdoor scenes, such as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and Saint Paul, Luz Station, the Municipal Theatre of São Paulo, and more. The cast and crew members also seemingly set up camp at one of the film studios located in and around the city to record key indoor sequences.
Goiás, Brazil
Only a few portions for ‘Radioactive Emergency’ were shot in the city of Goiânia, located in the state of Goiás. Since most of the shooting took place in São Paulo, even though the story is set in Goiânia, the people of Goiânia were dissatisfied, and the Municipal Council of Culture published an open letter to Netflix about it. Highlighting the fact that the city had qualified professionals, authentic locations, and a direct connection to the tragedy, the council members stated (translated), “Bringing the filming here would not only do justice to our history, but also generate jobs, boost the local economy, and strengthen Brazilian culture with more truth and representation.”
The council members also added, “The accident involving Cesium-137 was considered by the International Atomic Energy Agency to be the largest radiological accident in the world outside of nuclear power plants. It doesn’t belong to a staged scenario in a studio: it belongs to Goiânia, to its people, to its scars.”
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