Footings are in place and materials on site for the construction of electricity pylons  within about 50 metres of the GBU opening scene.

Almeria Western Film Festival ............ September 8th-11th 2011

http://www.almeriawesternfilmfestival.info/mission.html

We urge everyone who can to support this ambitious plan to stage an annual celebration of 'the western' in Tabernas. The first festival, to be held next month, will be showing over 2 dozen films with expert commentary/analysis. There'll be music, exhibitions, can-can, stunt displays and much more. Check out the website and ride into town for what should be a great event and, we hope, the first of many more to come.

http://www.almeriawesternfilmfestival.info/

Las Salinas Church, Cabo de Gata (the backdrop to Montgomery's Field HQ in Patton) is now benefiting from total refurbishment. 

Some time ago Onda Cero radio station did a broadcast about the church. Tomorrow, they are visiting Cortijo del Fraile for the same purpose. The Save Fraile campaign group will be out in force!

A Brief History of Film-making in Almeria

This is a short article from Tuco Tours on the film industry in Almeria.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo location at Llano del Duque

This is a complex story of revenge and the hunt for a missing woman. The missing woman is finally tracked down in the Australian outback. In the film, the unmistakable profile of Alfaro (below) appears but it is flipped (as below right). No doubt the familiarity of Alfaro to SW fans required a little trickery to try and disguise the location.

Duck You Sucker Bridge

The bridge has suffered badly in the winter storms and much of what remains may not be with us for too long. 

News of Cortijo del Fraile

The Junta de Andalucia has this week declared the buildings a site of special historical/cultural interest. In theory, this places obligations on the owners to conserve the property. The authorities can require works to be carried out. Also, as a last resort, the authorities have power to acquire the property compulsorily.

The museum in Casa Romero has opened! It has interesting holographic displays depicting the history of the building, exhibitions relating to the films made here in the 60s and 70s (and the characters associated with them) and a special room about John Lennon who is said to have written Strawberry Fields in the house. 

The visit to the museum is a guided tour (about 1.5 hours; the cost is 1.5 euros) and by reservation only. At the moment, there are English language tours on Sundays at 17.30. 

Despite the recession, some of the major public buildings in the City are being restored.

On the left is the Plaza Vieja, seen in films such as A Bullet for the General, where the refurbishment is about half complete and includes a hotel, 'arab baths' and a new restaurant.

On the right, the Cable Ingles has just been fenced off for the first phase of renewal work.

Two interesting buildings in the City have been superbly restored but remain unoccupied. 

On the left - Casa Fischer - seen in Patton as Allied HQ, Algiers, and intended for occupation as public sector offices.

On the right - Casa Romero - famously the temporary home of John Lennon where he is said to have written Strawberry Fields while filming How I Won the War. The building has been lavishly extended to house Almeria's museum of cinema but has remained empty for nearly a year, the project having apparently ground to a halt.

No further news on Cortijo del Fraile. In our view, the priority is simply  to stabilise the building - over ambitious expectations may only delay the urgent intervention needed.

Bad news 1
The pits at the sugar factory in Guadix (DYS massacre scene) have gone, dug out and lost for ever under a building site.

Bad news 2
The church at Turillas (Indio's hideout) has a new Priest. He allows access only by prior appointment/permission and does not permit photography. ******* !

Possible better news
The plinth holding up a statue of St Anthony in the Hermita at Turillas is reported to have been rescued from the old church. It may be the only piece of religious iconography remaining from Indio's occupation (possibly under the cherubic statue to the right as you look down the nave). See right.

The 'Salvemos Cortijo del Fraile' campaign hosted a round table discussion last night in the city of Almeria. It was attended by local politicians, artists, actors, academics ... and an audience of about 150 people including, of course, Tuco Tours. There was live music and a photography exhibition whose message compared the suffering of the cortijo to the suffering of Christ. Heavy stuff. But after the politicos had wittered around the subject for an hour or more, the evening finally came to the point thanks to our friend Manuel (Hostal Alba) who demanded an end to the talking and vacuous promises. What is needed now is action.
We shall see.

February 2010

Save  Cortijo del Fraile 

Following a campaign started on Facebook, hundreds of people gathered at the beautiful, but derelict, Cortijo del Fraile on Sunday 31^st January to protest about its condition and to petition local and/or central Government to step in and save this iconic building. 

The Cortijo was seen, of course, in GBU (exterior of the Mission) and was extensively used (externally and internally) in FFDM. Other famous film moments include Klaus Kinsky playing the Mad Monk, hurling grenades at the Mexican army (Bullet for the General).  It was the real life location of the early 20^th century family tragedy which became the subject of Federico Garcia Lorca’s play Boda de Sangre (Blood Wedding). 

The Andalusian Minister for Culture, Rosa Torres, has stated that it will be designated a BIC (site of cultural interest) but campaigners want action before the building falls down completely. The bell tower is leaning precariously and urgent work is needed to stabilise this and other parts of the structure.

A much bigger event is planned for June. Watch this space.

New street names for Los Albaricoques celebrate its connection with Spaghetti Westerns.

10th December 2009

Tribute to Ernest Borgnine in Almeria.

Ernest Borgnine was honoured at the Almeria Short Film Festival (Almeria en Corto) for his contribution to cinema in general and to film making in Almeria.
http://www.almeriaencorto.es/

The evening began with a screening of Hannie Caulder.

To mark the occasion, Tuco Tours set off on a little light location hunting and had an interesting result - Hannie Caulder's house turned out to be two different buildings about 150 metres apart in Rambla Buho.