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Nº 49 Spring 2007

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Nº 49 Spring 2007

Routes of cinema : Summer Rain

Routes of cinema (Summer Rain)
A film by Antonio Banderas
	The city of Malaga served as the best and worthiest of settings for the shooting of the film El Camino de los Ingleses, directed by Antonio Banderas, in a further acknowledgement by the actor and director of his homeland. The work is a film adaptation of the novel by Malaga-born writer Antonio Soler (winner of the 2004 Nadal Award), which tells the story of a group of young people in the summer of 1978. The piece captures the soul of the book’s author, and also to some extent that of the director, who claims that “there is a something of me in the novel and in the film. That headlong sense of yearning that encapsulates adolescence”. Antonio Soler set some of his scenes in specific locations around Malaga, and these are reflected in the film. The creation of cinema routes around Andalusia belongs to the partnership arrangements agreed between the Regional Department of Tourism, Trade and Sport and the Andalusia Film Commission, and is intended to draw by cinema as a tourist attraction. Within this context, and thanks to the arrangement, a number of projects are under way, such as the publication of the book “Cinema and Tourism: a new strategy for tourism promotion”, the presentation of Andalusia as a perfect film location at the world’s leading cinema festivals, and the creation of cinema trails around Andalusia based on the major productions shot in the region. It is this last initiative which, following the launch of the first route (Captain Alatriste), now sees the second addition focusing on El Camino de los Ingleses. Below we list some of the main locations used by Banderas for his second feature film behind the camera.

Plaza de la Merced

This Malaga landmark is easily recognizable in the film as Miguelito Dávila (Alberto Amarilla) walks along with Luli (María Ruiz) in one scene. Close by is the Picasso Birthplace Museum, and also the site of the obelisk in honour of General Torrijos.

Calle granada

The El Pimpi bar stood in for a few hours for El Bucán, one of the venues featured in the film and the setting for Luli’s dance scenes. The tavern dates from the 19th century and enjoys considerable fame and tradition. It was formerly a meeting place for poets, and is today visited by numerous tourists and also locals, who come to savour the delicious wines of Malaga. The Church of Santiago, built on the site of a former mosque, is also on the same street.

Calle San Agustín

Scene of a night-time stroll by two of the protagonists’. Just a few metres away is the former palace of the Counts of Buenavista, home of the Malaga Picasso Museum, and the grand residence of the Gálvez de Macharaviaya family.

Calle Santa Lucía

This street is home to the La Torre haberdashery, which was made up as the shop of Fina Nunni (Cuca Escribano), the character known as the Lana Turner of the neighbourhood. It is also the location of La Casa del Conde, a well-known and long-established Malaga nightspot which was used as the setting for the scenes in the Ajo Rojo bar. The street itself is located in the old town, close to the popular Plaza de la Constitución.

Calle MÁrmoles

Along with other streets in the city, Calle Mármoles was shifted back in time 30 years for the filming of a number of scenes.

Paseo Marítimo Pablo Ruiz Picasso

This is the location of the attic which is home to ‘La Señorita del Casco Cartaginés’ (Victoria Abril), the character who seduces Miguelito Dávila. The promenade offers views of the Mediterranean in all its glory, and is one of the city’s most well known and visited locations, by visitors and local residents alike.

Calle Miguel Bueno Lara - Plaza Maestro Artola

The Higher Conservatory of Music (formerly the School of Dramatic Arts, where Banderas and Antonio Meliveo, the composer of the soundtrack, studied), was transformed into La Estrella Pontificia, the dance academy which Luli attends.

Calle Virgen de la Fuensanta

The former provincial prison, in the Cruz de Humilladero district, was the setting for the scene in which Don Alfredo (Juan Diego) is released from prison.

Camino de Gibralfaro

It is on this path that Miguelito Dávila is beaten up, in a scene which plays a pivotal role in the story. The filming took all night, despite the difficult circumstances. Another nearby attraction is Gibralfaro Castle, offering striking views of the city of Malaga, built in the 14th century.

Playa de La Malagueta

The main characters are fond of riding down the ride their mopeds alongside this resplendent beach. Just ten minutes from the city centre, it is one of the most popular in the summer.

Paseo de Los Curas - Paseo del Parque - Puerto de Málaga

One of Don Alfredo’s regular routes in his car. These avenues are located in the beautiful area between the historic city centre and La Malagueta.

Playa de Guadalmar

This was the setting for the images of the tumbledown house of the idiosyncratic ‘Gorda de la Cala’ (Berta de la Dehesa), and has the Guadalmar golf course very close by.

Paseo Marítimo Antonio Machado - Calle Pacífico

The former avenue, dedicated to the Castilian poet, was used for a number of scenes. Curiously enough, it continues into the recently opened seafront promenade named for the actor and filmmaker Antonio Banderas himself.

Calle Julio Verne

Here we find the swimming pool of the former Vocational University, where filming began and which plays a crucial role in the film as the chosen meeting place of the young protagonists.

Calle Grice Hutchinson - Calle Vega - Plaza de la Inmaculada

The Camino de los Ingleses, which appears at the beginning and end of the film, was originally the Camino de Antequera, but has changed so often over the last 30 years that the filmmakers found the closest equivalent in the Churriana district, where they shot the sequences of González Cortés’ bar, another of the young characters’ haunts.

Jardines de Puerta Oscura

A bitter nightfall for Miguelito Dávila, who walks through here after being savagely beaten up. Located at the foot of the Alcazaba citadel, it is next to the Pedro Luis Alonso Gardens and the Gibralfaro Parador.

More routes, film details and news at:

www.andaluciafilm.com
www.andalucia.org