Costa Daurada, movie set
Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans... fell in love with the Gold Coast . The strategic situation, the light and the excellent weather are some of the factors that led to the choice of Tarragona as the capital of Hispania Citerior . Likewise, Costa Daurada would welcome, throughout history, monarchs, monks, businessmen and merchants, who have also left an important mark.
Precisely some of the story scenarios are now chosen as film sets , in an interest that does not stop growing. Thus, of the ten film sessions hosted by Tarragona in 2010 , the annual record now closes with dozens of productions that choose the city.
The modernist legacy of Reus , the sinuous Priorat wine roads or the Cistercian monasteries of Poblet and Santes Creus They are also some of the settings chosen to shoot commercials or movies.
Something like that found the film director Jesus Monllao on the Costa Daurada that led him to shoot his cult film son of cain . And he wasn't the only one...
The Romans fell in love with the light of Tarraco. Is this one of the attractions that Costa Daurada has as the location for a shoot?
I would rather say the romans fell in love with their privileged geostrategic position but i guess poetry also played its role. There is another place in the world with light and climatic characteristics similar to ours. It's called Los Angeles and at the beginning of the 20th century a very clever people laid the foundations of a billion-dollar industry there: Hollywood.
Light is NOT everything, my dear. The momentum of these productions should be taken advantage of to continue being a benchmark and be present at the negotiating tables of the production companies: are we willing to do it and dedicate resources to it?
What is your favorite corner of Tarraco?
A fisherman's boat a mile from shore. The cradle of the short wave, the salt suspended in the air... and Tarragona, proud, looking back.
Jesús Monlláo: "Tarragona, proud, looking back"
From your childhood, what are the settings of the Costa Daurada that you have the best memories of?
A fig tree that was where the bus station is now, when the main irrigation still passed hidden by a reed bed. He would go up there many afternoons after school and dream that he was flying.
The walks with my grandmother from the Espluga de Francoli until Poblet by the road. We stood at the fountain and she closed her eyes, feeling the cool water on her tongue and her voice.
The summer stays in the Capafonts summer camps . The path to the river to bathe in a natural pool that no longer exists...
Youth motorcycle outings through the winding roads of Priorat , when every stir was a risk and a surprise, and friendships honest and carefree.
The youth ascents to Mont Caro , from where he observed in amazement where he had come from and where he was going with a clarity difficult to find when you are immersed in the routine.
The Cistercian monasteries, their history... Tarraco, movie set
'Hijo de Caín' was shot in Tarragona, but also in Cambrils, Reus, Vila-seca and Mont-roig del Camp. How did you choose the settings for the recording of the film? Are there locations that you reserve for a new project?
son of cain It was a very particular project: it was located from the heart and from the production needs. The election was a mix of favorite places and mileage calculations. Audiovisual production is always a compromise between intention and budget.
In Tarragona you can shoot any type of project. I imagine many corners with incredible escapes and brutal urban, coastal and rural landscapes. But it is necessary to let the world know that they exist and create the conditions to make them attractive not only in the eyes of creators, but also for those responsible for production logistics.
Each season of the year colors and transforms every corner of the Costa Daurada. From the interior to the coast, what are the scenarios that you would choose for the filming of a movie?
The beach, the Montsant mountain range, the cracked terrain of Priorat, the few towns that have not destroyed their skyline with urban speculation... in fact we have locations ranging from the urban-kitsch up to archaic traditionalism . I personally like the abandoned and rusty pipes of some petrochemical factories to shoot a post-apocalyptic thriller.
What we have to do is create a huge bank of quality images that can be consulted online and thus attract possible productions.
What genres can be the ones that best fit Costa Daurada as the setting for a set?
Everyone, with the advent of computer generated images, a visual detail is enough to attract a production. As I said before, what is necessary is to create the optimal conditions to attract the people who design the logistics of the productions, in addition to the creators.
Do we have the potential to continue growing?
We are tiny. In a world that moves more and more by audiovisual criteria, not taking advantage of our potential would be a capital stupidity. But selling the landscape also means taking care of it and promoting it, are we willing to do it?