The Valencian capital has been on countless occasions the set for filming important movies. The modernist architecture, the futuristic shape of the City of Arts and Sciences, some of its historic squares, streets and places like the Albufera have not gone unnoticed on the big screen.
Renowned directors and producers such as Brad Pitt, Pedro Almodóvar or Álex de la Iglesia have found a unique and special backdrop in the city of Valencia. One of the clearest examples is the sci-fi film Tomorrowland (2015) , starring George Clooney. Due to the adaptation of the plot to its aesthetics – a risky mission in a curious city of the future – the City of Arts and Sciences turned out to be the perfect set to shoot several scenes.
La Mala Educación, a film by Almodóvar shot in 2003, tells the story of two friends who meet again years after having coincided in a Catholic school. The colorful facade of the Casa de Trencadís , in the Benimaclet neighborhood, is one of the attractions that were decorated and set back in the 60s for the film. Other locations such as the old Tyris cinema – nowadays a large gym – and the Plaza de San Luis Bertrán also appear in some of the shots.
Another film that has Valencia as part of its exterior shooting is Cien años de perdón (2016). In this thriller, a group of armed robbers assault the headquarters of a major city bank, but it doesn’t take long to get complicated. The cast of this impressive film is made up of José Coronado, Patricia Vico and Luis Tosar among others, and in the aerial shots you will recognize locations such as Calle Xàtiva and Estación del Norte .
Tranvía a la Malvarrosa (1997) , based on the novel by Manuel Vicent, allows us to travel back in time to Valencia in the 1950s and get on a tram bound for Malvarrosa Beach . It deals with the story of a young man from Castellón who, in full repression, moves to the city to train in Law, where he meets his first love.
Valencia: from the small to the big screen
Valencia has also hosted Bollywood shootings -with their lively and synchronized choreographies- and TV series on several occasions. An example is El Embarcadero , a 2019 television series whose network takes place in part in the Albufera Natural Park and its rice fields.
Other corners of Valencia such as the Lonja, Ruzafa, the Maritime Villages and the streets of Carmen have also appeared on the big screen in films such as The great adventure of Mortadelo and Filemón (2003) a comedy by Javier Fesser; El Bar (2017) , by Álex de la Iglesia and El silencio del pantano (2019) , with Pedro Alonso as the protagonist or the recent award-winning film La boda de Rosa (2020).
As we can see, the Valencian capital has managed to convey its charm through movie sets , and some directors have not hesitated to translate it into the film industry. Do you want to know more about these films and many more while feeling like you are on a real movie set? You have the opportunity with the guided tour Valencia de Cine
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