Almería and Cinema

Desert areas and wild landscapes, such as those of Tabernas, wide sierras with luxurious vegetation, coasts, cliffs and the pristine beaches of Cabo de Gata-Nijar, few Spanish provinces can boast of such a varied and strongly contrasted geography.

Undoubtly, this feature is what caused Almería to become one of the world's major film production centres, with up to 200 films and series filmed as of 2001.

Beginning with Spanish films soon European and American productions followed suit, bringing with them the brightest international stars as well as making tourism a major source of wealth and development in the province.

Under the direction of Sergio Leone, Western films became landmark productions. The zone, however, did not wish to focus on a single genre and wisely "marketed" its charms to directors and actors working on other types of filmes. Areas of the captial city such as the Alcazaba were transformed to shoot Indiana Jones and The last Crusade under Steven Spielberg and Battle of Guettar in Patton was filmed on location at Rambla del Buho in Tabernas. Western Towns

However, far from seeing the area as just a centre for work there were many who wanted to enjoy people and their land and perceived the many possibilities intrinsic to the zone. John Lennon celebrated his 26th birthday at what is today called El Delfin Verde, and Italian actor Fabio Testi became captivated bya a young lady from Almería whom he would later wed. Others found their fortune there. A young Clint Eastwood and later Arnold Schwarzenegger as well found their careers sky-rocket after filming their first picture in this Andalusian province.

Directors of the stature of Oliver Stone, Steven Spielberg, consecrated actors such as Liz Taylor, Clint Eastwood and Peter O´Toole, and even musicians like John Lennon could not resist the charms of Almería and participated in making films history in these lands.

Currently, commercial spots and, periodically, films are still produced here. Many consider that as long as the incomparable light and magnificant whether of Almería can be relied upon, many metres of film will continue to be shot in this land.

Hollywood Towns and Cinema

The desert landscape and climate that characterises part of the province made it an ideal setting for Western films, a feature that was especially taken advantage of beginning in the sixties. Because of the increasing demand for these locations on the part of the world's best film directors, quiete a number of Western towns were built near the Desert of Tabernas. Here, among others, films such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and A Fistful of Dollars were shot.

Mini-hollywood

This Western town goes back to the sixties, the first one built in Almería, and was the setting for films like A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More. Its yellow clay streets have held the imprint of the steps of directors and actors as outstanding as Henry Fonda, Orson Welles, Bridgitte Bardot and Harrison Ford. At this small re-creation of the wildest side of America, visitors will find the typicial Western saloons, the sheriff's office and even a bank of the epoch, and, of course, the famous stagecoaches.

Texas-Hollywood

This set was built in 1963 to film For a Few Dolllars More, directed by Sergio Leone who cast Clint Eastwood in the starring role. Leone eas the film director who most preferred Almería for his films. Texas-Hollywood was also the backdrop for the classic The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and other more recent films such as Young Idiana Jones and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Film buffs can ride a horse through the town and visit re-creations of Fort Bravo-style Mexican and Italian village.

Western Leone

This town owes its name to the director who was instrumental in universalising the landscape of Almería as a film location, the Italian Sergio Leone, and who we can thank for creating the "spaghetti western" cult film genre. This is where Once Upon a Time in the West was filmed, directed by Leone and starring Claudia Cardinale and the legendary Henry Fonda, as well as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Treasure Island.

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Fuente: www.dipalme.org