Maps of Movies

Biutiful (2010)

Where Biutiful says it takes place, and where it was really shot.

A dying man's last months in Barcelona, and a film shot across the city and its suburbs, with almost no scene address on record

Scenes and places

Uxbal's shabby apartment (2010)

Uxbal keeps his two young children in a worn-down flat while quietly running his side jobs. Everything he has to protect is under this one roof.

Set in Uxbal's apartment, El Raval — The shabby flat where Uxbal lives with Ana and Mateo. Google Maps · Apple Maps

A flat set in the El Raval district; the exact building is not named in any source found.

The street vendors and the forged goods (2010)

Uxbal arranges work for a Chinese workshop and the African vendors who sell its goods, paying the police to look away. Two groups of strangers depend on him.

Set in Barcelona streets (vendors' beat) — Chinese immigrants make forged designer goods; African street vendors sell them.

Street scenes in Barcelona; no single street is named in any source found.

Speaking for the dead (2010)

At wakes and funerals Uxbal speaks to the dead and carries their words to the living. The gift sits oddly beside his dirty daily dealings.

Set in A wake in Barcelona — Uxbal passes on messages from the recently deceased to mourners.

Wakes and funerals; no real location is named in any source found.

Bea tells him to stop chemotherapy (2010)

After his diagnosis Uxbal turns to Bea, who tells him to put his affairs in order. She gives him two black stones for his children.

Set in Bea's home (healer) — The friend and alternative healer who advises Uxbal.

A private home; no real location is named in any source found.

An attempt at reconciliation (2010)

Marambra begs for another chance and pitches a life by the sea. Uxbal sees she cannot be trusted with the children and the hope collapses.

Set in Marambra's place — Uxbal visits his estranged wife Marambra hoping to reunite the family.

A home; no real location is named in any source found.

The Chinese workers' new job (2010)

Tito fixes the crew a place on a site in Badalona, and Uxbal tries to help with cheap gas heaters. The kindness goes badly wrong in the night.

Set in Construction site and workers' lodging, Badalona — Tito brokers work for the Chinese crew on a building site; Uxbal buys cheap heaters for them.

A building site near Barcelona; the film's dialogue names Badalona, no real site is identified.

The bodies on the shore (2010)

A trafficker's attempt to dump the bodies at sea fails when the sea returns them, and the story becomes a media sensation. Uxbal is left carrying the guilt.

Set in The shore — The coast where the dumped bodies wash up.

A stretch of sea coast; no real location is named in any source found.

Sagrada Familia behind the story (2010)

The basilica rises in the background as the city's landmark while Uxbal's story plays out in its back streets.

Set in Sagrada Familia — The basilica that appears in the Barcelona backdrop. Google Maps · Apple Maps

Barcelona's unfinished basilica by Antoni Gaudí.

Filmed at Sagrada Familia, Barcelona — A single blog page says the basilica appears in the film's background; no scene or angle is given. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

Filmed at Santa Coloma de Gramenet — Much of the film, shot in Barcelona and suburbs Google Maps · Apple Maps

Characters

• Uxbal — A criminal and father in Barcelona who is diagnosed with terminal cancer and tries to settle his affairs.
• Bea — Uxbal's friend, an alternative healer.
• Marambra — The mother of his children, an alcoholic masseuse with bipolar disorder.
• Tito — Uxbal's brother, who works in construction.

Questions answered on the map

• Where was Biutiful really filmed in Barcelona?