Travel Spain in your armchair and watch these Spanish films!
Weren’t able to make that bike trip to Spain due to Corona Virus Lockdowns or airline disruption? Watch these Spanish films to travel and get a taste of Spain. Plan your next visit now.
¡Viva España!
The Most Famous Movie Filmed in Spain, with a Twist
Watch these Spanish films to travel Spain virtually and even pick up a bit of the language as a bonus! In these Covid times, we are all scanning media libraries & Netflix accounts like mad. Here is a list of Spanish films to watch from your cozy little self-isolation nest. Make those long days shorter whilst we all do our part for our hardworking health services and stay out of their way, and watch Spanish themed content!
A really nice homegrown one for Spain – SAD HILL UNEARTHED is an inspirational true story and documentary. This film portrays a small group of Spanish men, with a great love of Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti western classic starring Clint Eastwood, “the Good, the Bad and the Ugly“. They decide to resurrect the famous cemetery featured in the movie. Creating a public movement to do so, they find the spot where the scene and painstakingly reform it, bringing it back to how it appeared in the 1960s. Today, it has become a popular Spanish tourist attraction for all fans alike.
Binge Watch these Spanish films to Travel Spain
Without a doubt, binge worthy drama goes to MONEY HEIST. An independent Netflix series, it was filmed mainly in Madrid. “The Professor” a criminal mastermind, plans the perfect crime, to defraud the Royal Mint of Spain, in order to print billions. The team with their special talents, help bring this to fruition. Don’t worry, there are several seasons to feed your addiction about Spain and action packed dramas.
Another great series on Netflix is CRIMINAL – SPAIN . The claustrophobic interrogation room is where all the action happens. A series of 4 countries (the UK, Germany, France & Spain), they are all nail biting dramas with a tight script. A good way to practise your Spanish verbs.
Watch this Spanish feel good film to travel Spain’s Capital, Madrid
The best way to get a feel before travelling is to watch some Spanish travel documentaries on Spain. A nice film is MADRID by Chilean director, Patricio Guzman in 2002, which is a love letter of his to this incredibly diverse city. A nice way to inspire you to visit this Spanish city and its people. We love Madrid too, read our blog piece on it!
Inspirational short film on Spain
On a cheerier note is Isabel Coixet y Mediapro’s SPAIN IN A DAY which collated 22,600 videos sent by Spanish people, one day in 2015. It is a lovely collection of Spain, the Spanish and their life. Incredibly uplifting and by watching this Spanish film you will want to travel there immediately.
Watch Spanish films to travel Spain – Short docs
Here is something small: THE HANDSOME PRIEST – A fascinating short on an interesting story by the BBC, set in the chaotic days of the Civil war and some detective work done to try and find the truth of a murdered priest. It is very short, very poetic.
An insight into bullfighting culture, is Ido Mizrahy’s film, GORED about Spanish bullfighter, Antonio Barrera, the most gored in history (23 times). A Mexican film, it will resonate with those who admire this Spanish cultural iconic Art. Only for the viewer with a strong stomach. A fascinating look into a hard life, full of danger and thrill seeking. Try the official Gored Website.
Movies on the Spanish Civil War
A Fictionalized Film about Spain’s Civil War
A film based about the Civil war, but may be harder to find, is a very nice fictional movie, LA LUZ PRODIGIOSA, directed by Miguel Hermoso (2003) and staring Alfredo Landa, (the English title is THE END OF A MYSTERY) as a man, who tries to discover the identity of someone he helped in Granada during the civil war.
Spain’s Civil war is creative fodder for film makers, such as Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 excellent Oscar award winning film, PAN’S LABYRINTH but BUTTERFLY TONGUES is a little less foreboding. It is about a young boy growing up with the war looming and how it starts to affect his life in Spain. It won the year 2000, Spanish Goya award for Best Picture and is a sensitive portrait.
If interested in a documentary, TO DIE IN MADRID, is an older one but not less relevant. Nominated in 1963 for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Film Category, it was directed by Frédéric Rossif and shows the city’s hardships with real film footage during the Spanish Civil War in 1936.
A Film to watch about Spanish Art
Interest yourself in Spanish Art and in particular, the artist Goya and his chaotic background. Spanish actor, Javier Bardam and Natalie Portman star in Miloš Forman’s last film, GOYA’S GHOSTS (2006) a Spain/USA cooperative production. This tormented artist’s life during the tumultuous Napoleonic age is portrayed well here.
Watch Spanish films to travel Spain – laugh with these Comedies
Let’s laugh now and a fun one with many cultural twists is A SPANISH AFFAIR or OCHO APELLIDOS VASCOS by Emílio Martínez-Lázaro. An Andalucian boy from the South must pretend to be Basque to capture the heart of the Northern Spanish Basque girl he loves. Some screwball scenes but entertaining and spot the differences in accents!
One last one, something with.. Football in it! You can’t come to Spain and not realize their passion (or maybe obsession) for this sport (as well as cycling of course). The 2013 comedy film, LA GRAN FAMILIA ESPAÑOLA by Daniel Sanchez Arevalo is about a family which comes together for a wedding during the World Cup and is a very funny watch.
Enjoy, have fun and perhaps learn some of the Spanish language on the way!
Let us know what you think
We would love to hear from anyone who has some favourites to share as well!
Let us know what they are in your comments sections below.
