Traveling is the great pastime of the 21st century. The fall in the prices of airline tickets and greater access to the Internet have led to the democratization of turismo: Knowing other countries and experiencing radically different cultures has become the great aspiration of many. And it is no longer worth just being in the places, you also have to live them. One of the best ways to do this is to join a tour with a local guide that explains, either the generalities of a big city, or specific aspects for those who seek to broaden their knowledge on a specific topic. Some are focused on art, on a specific historical period or on legends. Y also about cine.
Because, deep down, cities are big sets of cinema with scenes perfectly recognizable for the premises and that the visitors want to know. In this spirit, Netflix and Sandemans have teamed up to create a walk through Madrid that It is not only an ode to the seventh art, but also a plea for equality, of the LGTBI collective, of women and of Spanish customs. Along the way there are references to hits from the streaming platform such as ‘La Casa de Papel’, ‘Las Chicas del Cable’ or ‘Elite’, but also to the great feature films of Pedro Almodóvar, to the great classics of Spanish cinema and the reaction of the Hollywood stars of yesterday and today when stepping on the Gran Vía.
The first stop could not be other than Plaza de España, in front of the current Hotel Riu, former Edificio España. Its recognizable white and red facade, and more specifically its terrace, has been a recurring landscape on the small and the big screen since it was remodeled just a couple of years ago. It is at that moment that Rafa, the guide, reviews how cinema landed in Madrid from the first screening in a room near the Congress to the most emblematic rooms that are still standing. A review of almost a century in just fifteen minutes.
An unbeatable way to breathe the artistic atmosphere of Madrid is to walk the Gran Vía, the zero kilometer of theaters and cinemas. Although some have not been preserved since it was the Spanish Broadway, many are still active and premiere blockbusters such as ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ or ‘Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness’. The Callao Cinemas, the Press Palace and the Music Palace are the most traditional. That yes, in none of them are the pianos that served as the soundtrack in the first throes of the great projections.
The second key place is Callao, which is currently the reference point of the Madrid cinema. The place of premieres and major marketing campaigns, with the permission of the most famous of all: the one that wished everyone a ‘White Christmas’ at Puerta del Sol with an image of ‘Narcos’. The latest to turn the central square upside down has been ‘Stranger Things’ with the premieres of the first chapters of its fourth season. But this tradition is not something recent, but dates back to the 1950s.
But, if there is a scene deeply linked to Callao, that is the rain of banknotes caused by the Professor and his gang at the beginning of the third season of ‘La Casa de Papel’. The series, which was initially intended for Antena 3, has already accumulated 6,700 hours of viewing worldwide, and for this reason there are more and more international tourists who come to Madrid and want to see the two most representative buildings of the series: the Currency and Stamp Factory and the headquarters of the Bank of Spain. The curious thing is that reality does not coincide with the series and the buildings that served as a set are, in reality, a CSIC building and the headquarters of a ministry. Entry to both is strictly restricted to avoid crowds of fans.
The next part of the tour takes place in several enclaves of Chueca, one of the neighborhoods with the most personality in Madrid, and also the world of Valeria. Elisabeth Benavent has created one of the greatest phenomena of recent years thanks to the group of friends who meet in the cafeteria in the Plaza de la Memoria Trans. But Chueca, and all of Madrid, is also Almodóvar.
Those who want to know the history of the capital and the big screen and take home a lot of anecdotes have a golden opportunity this summer. The film tour of Madrid created by Sandemans and Netflix will be only available one weekfrom July 11 to 17, in the morning (10:00 a.m.) and in the afternoon (6:00 p.m.), and it is free.
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