Joan Riedweg: stories filmed between sea, cameras and mountains

Film director, television producer, university professor, and pioneer in the use of artificial intelligence applied to audiovisual media. Joan Riedweg Pérez, born in Granada but a true Catalan by adoption, is a key figure in the country's audiovisual sector.

With a career that began in 1983 and includes films, television programs, music videos, commercials, and collaborations with national and international artists, he has successfully combined technique, passion, and a unique vision. He has directed more than 150 music videos, worked with Freixenet, Focus Audiovisual, Dagoll Dagom, and La Cubana, and continues to experiment with new creative technologies.

At femturisme.cat, we have spoken with him not only to talk about his films, but also about the corners of Catalonia that, like his work, form a mosaic full of art, emotion and life.

A Catalonia experienced from the detail and from the sky

What is your favorite spot in Catalonia?

Obviously, Cadaqués. It's one of my favorite places in the country. I even have paintings by my father there. Whenever we can, we escape there, and every time we've gone we've felt wonderful. I love it.

Cadaqués, with its light, white houses, and the imposing Cap de Creus, has been a refuge and inspiration for artists. A natural setting that combines tranquility and character.

Is there any place in Catalonia that brings back childhood memories?

Not from my childhood, because I was born in Granada and lived there until I was 10. But there is one place that brings back a very important memory: Sant Pere de Ribes, where I got married. It's one of the most beautiful days of my life. And afterwards, we had the celebration in Sitges, where we stayed until late. Every time we go there, it brings back that wonderful memory.

What Catalan experience or tradition do you think everyone should experience at least once?

The castellers. Every time I see them, I suffer a lot, especially for the children, but at the same time I think that anyone visiting Catalonia should see them build a human tower. It's exciting, spectacular, and very much our own.

If you had to recommend just one thing to someone visiting Catalonia for the first time, what would it be?

Eat calçots. It's very typical here, and gastronomically we have many other gems: butifarra with beans, fideuà… And bread with tomato, please: a must. If anyone comes to Catalonia, they must try it.

What corner of Catalonia have you yet to discover?

There are always hidden gems, of course, but I've traveled extensively throughout Catalonia and I've loved everything I've seen. We have a region to explore: diverse, accessible, and beautiful.

Which places in Catalonia have you filmed the most times?

The Pyrenees. For 20 years I worked in the Pirena dog sledding race. It was January and February, and each day we covered a different resort. If the weather was good, we even flew by helicopter . I've traveled all over the Pyrenees, by air and by road. The entire Pyrenees is a marvel.

Joan Riedweg speaks of the land with the same sensitivity with which he films. His eye knows how to find beauty in the light of a street, in a Mediterranean landscape, or in a snow-covered mountain.

From Cadaqués to the Pyrenees, passing through Sitges or Sant Pere de Ribes, his Catalonia is a collection of settings that are part of a personal film, one that continues to be filmed every day.