Alex Cox: "A good film is an invitation to get to know the place"

The British filmmaker begins filming the film 'Dead Mexicans' in a few days in the town of MiniHollywood in Tabernas

Diario de Almería

By Diego Martínez

October 9, 2024

Alex Cox has returned to the Tabernas Desert, 38 years later, after filming Straight to Hell in 1986. The British filmmaker will shoot a feature film of the western genre in the coming days, with which he says it will be his last film, but in a different way.

His new film proposal is based on the novel Dead Souls, by Nicolai Gogol, to make a "Western version" of an ironic and mysterious story that takes place in 1890 in Arizona. The film will be titled "Dead Mexicans".

To portray this picture, Cox intends to shoot in two locations: Tucson (Arizona) and, of course, the province of Almeria, where MiniHollywood Oasys will be one of the main sets for filming in the province.

And to learn more about the film and get to know this iconic and eclectic director better, MiniHollywood Oasys held a round table, moderated by Carlos Vives (La Oficina Producciones Culturales) and composed of José Díaz (mayor of Tabernas); the filmmaker, Margaret Von Schindler and the journalists, Carlos Juan and Manuel Carretero (Canal Sur); Pepe Cuenca (Dipalme Radio); Evaristo Martínez (La Voz de Almería) and Diego Martínez (Diario de Almería).

The production of this table was carried out by Leonardo Giménez (Armería & Atrezzo Leonardo); Andy Arche; David Miralles & El Indaliano (Un Nuevo Renacer Producciones), Diego Pérez (Proyecto Cine TV); Pablo Torres (De Torres Producciones) and Canal Sur Almería).

Alex Cox was surprised not to be able to shoot the entire film in Tabernas. "I have found that the villages are occupied with other productions. There are many shootings at the moment and others in perspective. This means that there is no possibility of shooting the entire film here, but we will be in Tabernas for a few days and then we will go to Arizona to shoot the rest of the film."

Regarding the cast of his new film, Cox stressed that "in this film there are several people who already appeared almost 40 years ago in the film that I already shot here. Unfortunately, some actors from that time are no longer here."

At the beginning of the 70s, Alex Cox visited for the first time the locations of the films that Sergio Leone had shot. "Leone's films from that era are charming and still have something special about them."

Cox explained that the first scenes he will shoot of his new film will feature a large number of people as figuration, although the final part of the film will be shot in Arizona. He also complained about the sad disappearance of the stalks throughout the desert area of Almeria. "I knew Tabernas as the place of the stalks, and almost all of them have been lost due to some bugs that have destroyed them. The film goes from a very dry desert to a desert where some green appears. In Almeria I will shoot for five days and in Arizona for two weeks".

"I really wanted Gianni Garko to work on this film, but due to his age, I can't ask him to make a film in such a short time," said Cox, who lived for many years in Tabernas. For this reason, Cox stressed that "Almeria Western Film Festival is a great support for filmmakers. What's more, the Festival introduces Tabernas and Almería to many filmmakers who do not know this wonderful environment".

"I really like the Festival that people who come can enter for free to see the film. You don't need to pay a lot of money, people are invited, and I think the atmosphere of the Festival is very beautiful, and the people who come enjoy it," he said.

He was always fascinated with the landscapes of Almeria, and more specifically the desert of Tabernas. "A good film is an invitation to get to know the place where it has been shot," says this brilliant filmmaker.

'Tabernas is a very special place, I did a lot of walks in the desert'

"When I left Tabernas I was sad, I didn't want to leave the house. I wanted to have my little place in Tabernas. Tabernas is a very special place, and I took many walks in the desert. I now live in Oregon with my wife and three dogs," recalls Alex Cox. The filmmaker also remembered Joe Strummer, leader of The Clash, of whom he said that "he was an extraordinary person with great energy. Sadly he died very young. It was really a luxury that I worked on the film Straight to Hell that I shot here almost four decades ago." I remembered that film that brought a cast of actors of great projection such as Sy Richardson, Joe Strummer, Dick Rude and Courtney Love and also appeared Dennis Hopper, Grace Jones, Elvis Costello and Jim Jarmusch. Members of The Pogues' band, Amazulu and Circle Jerks are also in the film. The film's title is based on The Clash's 1982 song of the same name. "We filmed in the middle of August in Almeria, with a lot of heat, and it also coincided with the Almeria Fair. I remember the Chochona song which had a great impact on The Pogues," says Cox. "We had so many ideas that we had to extend the filming time, and we spent four weeks"