AN upcoming TV show from the writers of Emily in Paris set in Barcelona has sparked a wave of negative reactions by locals who claim it will contribute to the gentrification of the city.
La vida Barcelona will portray a Dutch girl sent by her rich mother to steal a Catalan company’s ideas – but instead she ends up falling in love with the city.
An online campaign to boycott the so-called heir of the successful Paris-set Netflix drama is already underway, spearheaded by the Instagram page lavidabarcelona.
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The posts online complain of ‘enough of overcrowding in our city’, as residents have spent years concerned about the high renting prices, the loss of identity of the city and essentially its portrayal as a touristy destination with no soul.
Ayla Spaans, the director of the show scheduled for 2027, said in an interview that ‘they wanted to show a different Barcelona and remind people that the places with more personality must continue to exist’.
However, El Pais journalist Noelia Ramirez, sarcastically criticised hit back: “The show has locations as unique as the Montjuïc Olympic swimming pool – where even Dua Lipa has recorded a videoclip – or Passeig del Born, where none of my friends asks to meet due to the high prices.”
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The creator of @lavidabarcelona told El Diario that locals feel enraged: “This is the symptom, not the cause of the problem,” he said, adding that nothing could be done to stop the production of the show now that it is being filmed in Amsterdam.
They have asked all followers online to not watch the show, although given the attention it is now receiving, this could be counterproductive and the show could even surpass its initial expectations by being consumed internationally, not only in the Netherlands.
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Another angle to look at the debate was posed by El Diario, explaining that for decades, much of Western culture has consumed stories featuring Europeans or Americans who travelled to other places to reinvent themselves.
Novels, films and TV series set in Morocco, Thailand or Bali have created a romanticised view of these destinations without paying much attention to the people who lived there. Now, Barcelona natives are to face the consequences of travelling first-hand.
Spanish actors such as Martiño Rivas, Priscilla Delgado and Greta Fernandez are part of the cast, together with the Dutch actress Holly Mae Brood, who plays the lead role of Julia.
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