Filming location?
Does anyone know where this was filmed? Was it in the University of Seville, the former tobacco factory which is the location in the opera?
shareThere is no attempt in the dance film of Carmen by Carlos Saura to shoot "on-location." It is all done in the dance studio of Antonio Gades in Madrid and random urban streets of modern Madrid.
But something tells me you are asking this question about a different version of Carmen, one that does go "on-location" to recreate the 19th- Century ambiance.
If you are talking about the 1984 film of the OPERA, with Placido Domingo, I don't think the Tabacalera (now Universidad) was used in filming that either. The scenes shot in Seville include the Plaza de España, Alcázar and Giralda/Catedral.
Most of the opera film was shot in the town of Ronda. All the street scenes, the Plaza de Toros/bullring (Ronda's is the oldest in Spain), the gorge with bridges, etc. The film crew took over Ronda and outfitted many of the locals in 19th Century garb so that they could work as extras. The people there still talk about it; they were very proud to be a part of this production.
thanks for clearing that up, my daughter went to the university in sevilla, and the rumor is that is where a movie of Carmen was filmed.
shareI worked at the University of Seville in the 1980s, and as I recollect it would have been hard even then to shoot any scenes there that are supposed to be taking place in the 19th Century.
The whole interior had been renovated and carved up into classrooms and offices. The exterior is surrounded by parking lots and traffic. The facade is about the only thing that could be used in a CARMEN film.
I've watched both the Saura dance version and the opera film with Plácido Domingo and Julia Migenes many times hoping to catch a glimpse of the Universidad/Tabacalera, but so far no luck. However, there may be other versions of CARMEN that include some shots of the building. The story has been redone close to 100 times, so chances are good there is some film somewhere (maybe one of the several silent CARMEN movies) that shows the Universidad/Tabacalera. Let me know if you ever find one!