Mock cowboys on horseback put on a show for visitors at a theme park in the Tabernas Desert
JORGE GUERRERO
“You can shoot from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm and it will always be the same,” he told AFP. “It was like Texas for us, it really was like a desert.”
Jose Enrique Martinez, an author of two books on the history of filmmaking in Almeria, said “the scenery is the same as in Arizona and southern Texas — it doesn’t rain.”
“And it’s a lot cheaper than in the United States,” he added.
“In its early days, cinema in Almeria was a family affair. Everyone wanted to be in the films. Workers would call in sick to go to film shoots where they were paid more.”
After an airport opened in Almeria, the capital of the province of the same name located 30 kilometres (18 miles) south of Tabernas, it became easier for stars such as Sean Connery and Brigitte Bardot to come to the remote location for a shoot.
Tabernas has also been used as a stand-in for the Middle East and North Africa, such as for the 1962 epic drama “Lawrence of Arabia”, said Bob Yareham, who wrote the book “Movies made in Spain”.
Filming in Tabernas slowed down after the 1970s but has picked up recently with the filming of scenes for popular English-language series including “The Crown” and “Game of Thrones” as well as the French series “Lucky Luke” and “Zorro”.
An actor performs at a theme park in the Tabernas Desert
JORGE GUERRERO
And since 2001 Tabernas has hosted each October Europe’s only film festival dedicated to Westerns.
“It’s not a thing of the past, it’s still alive,” said 41-year-old teacher Juan Castro, who attended this month’s festival sporting a cowboy hat and a bandana around his neck.
“We must continue to promote it so that it doesn’t fall into oblivion.”
Danish-American actor Viggo Mortensen picked up the award for best picture at this year’s festival for his feature “The Dead Don’t Hurt” about star-crossed lovers in the Wild West.
“The Western is not dead, that’s not true,” Mortensen said on stage as he collected the prize.
“Long live the Western and long live the Western filmed in Almeria!”
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Publish date : 2024-10-18 01:22:00
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