I woke up on Sunday to find that the area around my home in central Palma had been transformed into a big movie set. My street was closed-off and a security guard, in no uncertain terms, told me to take another route. They were filming the new Bollywood blockbuster, Pathan.
While I welcome movies being filmed in the city and also all the revenue which it generates, I do feel that residents should be given some form of warning. When streets are being closed to traffic and pedestrians, neighours are generally warned in advance. I received no such notification. It was busy in Palma and the filming did cause some problems, especially as part of the Paseo del Borne was closed off.
Also, it might have been an idea if members of the local police had been on duty in the area, because to be honest it is not the same if you are told that your street is closed off by a private security. Now, I appreciate that there has to be an element of secrecy around filming but you can´t just block off a part of central Palma without warning.
These are small lessons which the city council must learn if Palma is going to be a major movie centre. Residents do need to be informed because it could hit their plans. Sunday was probably selected because the city is usually quieter but not last Sunday. There were people everywhere.
I sincerely hope that the production company gives Palma a big mention in the credits because we earnt our small claim to fame on Sunday.