The local government in Ibiza, an island located off of Spain's coast, could sue the US company Netflix after a promotional movie filmed in Croatia simulates the Mediterranean island.
The feature film Ibiza follows the adventures of a group of girlfriends on the island of Ibiza, though no part of the movie was actually filmed on the Spanish island, reports Index.hr on May 20, 2018.
The Ibiza government has been quoted as filing a lawsuit against the filmmaker and the digital platform because they believe that the Ibiza brand was used when filming a feature film that depicts the landscape of Croatia.
The first trailer for the new movie was released at the beginning of the month, and the film itself will premiere on May 25th. It features Gillian Jacobs, known for her role in the original Netflix series Love.
In the new comedy film, a 30-year-old woman travels with her two friends to Spain, and notably Barcelona and Ibiza, where they meet the world of clubbing and fall in love.
The Ibiza Government Tourism Office points out that the film presents the "worst stereotypes" of this Spanish island and is contrary to the promotional tourist policy that these and other institutions are implementing. Authorities wish to change the image of the island as a place of wild entertainment and endless amounts of alcohol.
The film producer presented the project to the local government several months ago, but they refused to support the film, stating that it did not correspond to the reality on the island.
"It's true that it is fun here, but that's just part of it. There are many other things here, so this movie does not reflect our reality,” said Vicente Torres, the Department of Tourism head.
His further dissatisfaction came after he saw the trailer for the film which is two and a half minutes long.
"Of all the places that appear in the film, none of them are from this island. We know the movie is filmed in Croatia,” Torres addressed to the media. "It's a scam," he added, upset that the landscapes of another country are being portrayed as Ibiza. The Netflix movie was filmed in Split and on the beach of Zrće on the island of Pag.
"We do not agree with this movie," Torres concluded.
This is not the first Netflix film about the infamous island. In 2013, the feature film Loving Ibiza was released, which later turned into a series of eight episodes. The series follows Dutch expats who are starting a new life on the island. In this series, all of the localities actually belong to the island, and the stories are focused on the nightlife and how it mixes with everyday life.
