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Hondarribia's Main Street Transforms into a Pre-War French Film Set

Filming underway in the Old Town for 'El mundo era nuestro', a musical set on the eve of World War II.

Generic image of an old street in France.
IA

Generic image of an old street in France.

The Old Town of Hondarribia has been transported to pre-war France for the filming of 'El mundo era nuestro', a musical set on the eve of World War II.

The Calle Mayor in Hondarribia, now resembling an old French street, has become a new film set. Buildings and walls were adorned with French posters and signs over the weekend, and several establishments have changed their appearance: the Town Hall is now the 'Caserne Brisengourg', a restaurant has become the 'Le Mandragore' cabaret, and another is named 'Cafe Forêt de Hagenau'. Locals and visitors wander with surprise and curiosity amidst the constant movement of production crew members.
Specifically, the Old Town of Hondarribia is hosting the filming of 'El mundo era nuestro', a production by the Catalan company Sin Parpadear, expected to be released in 2027. From what little has been revealed, it is a musical set in the pre-war French era of World War II. The script is by Àlex Tejedor and co-directed by Miquel Verd. Filming in the municipality will conclude this Wednesday and continue in the coming weeks in the Baztan valley and the Urkiola natural park.
Despite the secrecy typical of such productions, it appears that the feature film being shot is an 'extended version' of the musical short 'Sergi & Irina'. This piece, released in 2020, was the first joint project by Verd and Tejedor and has received numerous state and international awards over the years.
The film, starring Adrián Salzedo (Sergi) and Teresa Ferrer (Irina) and shot at the Mallorcan estate Raixa, tells the love story of a couple forced to separate by the outbreak of World War II. As Tejedor himself explained to Diario de Mallorca two years ago, the project's success encouraged them to turn it into a feature film, and once the necessary funding was secured, they intended to start shooting by the end of 2025.
Álex Tejedor (Palma de Mallorca, 1975), an actor, director, and composer involved in numerous projects, is a recognized professional in the audiovisual and theatrical scene of the Balearic Islands, where he has developed much of his career. Meanwhile, Miquel Verd (Montüiri, 1975) heads Singular Audiovisual, a Mallorcan production company with which he has made several projects for the regional television channel IB3.
Since filmmaker Franklin J. Schaffner chose the old part of Hondarribia in 1973 to shoot the beginning of a classic of the seventh art, 'Papillon', many directors have filmed in the municipality's historic streets. At that time, stars like Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman participated in the Hollywood production.
In recent years, Calle Mayor has gained increasing prominence among Basque creators. Evidence of this includes the 2019 filming of 'Hil Kanpaiak', starring Itziar Ituño and Eneko Sagardoy; and more recently, 'Karmele' (2024), the adaptation of Kirmen Uribe's novel 'Elkarrekin esnatzeko ordua' by director Asier Altuna. Similarly, at the end of April, La Bretxa was the scene of another filming whose details have not yet been disclosed.

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