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BARCELONA A FILM SET
Barcelona is undoubtedly one of the most inspiring cities for its beauty. That’s why many films have been shot in the Catalan capital since 1897. From Casa Jam Barcelona, we present you our list of top films shot in Barcelona. If you dare to watch them before travelling to Barcelona, you will be able to recognize when you are here the most emblematic corners and see how some of them have changed. And if you prefer to watch them afterwards, they will help you remember the best moments of your walks in Barcelona.
here the list for the film lovers:
“Riña en un café” could be considered one of the first films shot in Barcelona. Fructuós Gelabert directed and shot it in 1897, with a camera he had built himself. This film is more of an anecdote, as it is almost impossible to find.
“All About My Mother” by Pedro Almodóvar, 1999, winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Fantastic melodrama with touches of comedy that is set in the surroundings of the Palau de la Música and the final scene takes place in the cemetery of Montjuïc. The protagonist of this film is Manuela, the single mother of a teenager who is run over and killed on his 17th birthday. This tragedy will push her to look for Esteban’s father in Barcelona, who is now a transvestite, to tell him what happened.
“Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” by Tom Tykwer, 2006. The true story is set in 18th century Paris, but much of the film was shot in Poble Espanyol, the Cathedral of the Sea and the Laberint d’Horta. The film tells us how Jean-Baptiste is one of France’s finest perfumers, but is obsessed with the idea of capturing the perfect scent, the essence of a woman.
“L’Auberge espagnole” by Cédric Klapisch, 2002. A comedy set in Barcelona itself. A French economics student decides to spend some time in Barcelona to learn Spanish. He moves into a house where he lives with seven other students who are also doing an ERASMUS.
“While you sleep” by Jaume Balagueró, 2011. This feature film was going to be called Flatmate and shot in New York but in the end they chose an apartment in the Eixample district of Barcelona. César, the doorman of a building, is not happy and does not want others to be happy either. But he meets a new neighbor who never stops smiling and she becomes his obsession.
, “Los últimos días” by Àlex and David Pastor, 2013. They show us an apocalyptic Barcelona where a mysterious disease is spreading throughout the planet and the population can not go out on the street. This plot sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Sometimes reality overcomes fiction!
“Barcelona, nit d’hivern” by Dani de la Orden, 2015. It is a Christmas romantic comedy that crosses the streets of the Raval, the Gòtic or the Airport, among other locations. This film is ideal to see the everyday Barcelona of several people during Twelfth Night.
“No matarás” by David Victori, 2020, places the action of the actor Mario Casas, in the streets of Poblenou, right next to Razzmatazz. This same actor appeared in “Tengo Ganas de ti” 2010, and “Contratiempo” 2017, films that were also shot in Barcelona and in them you can see the Carmel bunkers and the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion. In “Thou Shalt Not Kill”, he plays Dani, a young man who decides to resume his life after taking care of his father until he passes away. Shortly after his father’s death, he meets Mila, a sensual and disturbing girl who will turn his life into a nightmare.
To finish this list of films, although it does not match chronologically, I would like to add “Año de Gracia” by Ventura Pons, 2011. David arrives in Barcelona looking for an opportunity and Gracia is sixty years old and offers him a room in exchange for company. But the most interesting thing about this comedy is that it features our neighbourhood of Gracia, where Casa Jam Barcelona is located!
And for literature lovers we also have a list!
The unmissable novel “The Shadow of the Wind”, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Through it you will be able to imagine Barcelona and discover places unknown to most tourists. Pass by Santa Anna street, Baixada de la Llibreteria, Montcada street, Els Quatre Gats Café and Santa Maria del Mar church.
“Nada” by Carmen Laforet, a classic of Spanish literature! A novel about the poverty and decadence of post-war Barcelona. It won the Nadal Prize in 1945.
“Últimas tardes con Teresa” by Juan Marsé – another classic set in Barcelona! If you like realistic romances, this is your novel.
“La catedral del mar” by Ildefonso Falcones. This novel takes you back to life in 14th century Barcelona. The story has as its central theme the construction of the church of Santa Maria del Mar.
“La Plaça del Diamant” by Mercè Rodoreda, a classic of Catalan literature! It immerses us in the Republic and the Civil War. The whole novel is an inner monologue of the protagonist and tells us about her struggle as a woman facing a very difficult reality. Ah, and a few streets away from Casa Jam Barcelona, you can find the same Plaça del Diamant that is talked about in the novel…
