“Let’s sit down” and “quickly solve” the problem, assured Carlos Moedas (PSD) during his visit to the contemporary art fair ARCOmadrid, in the Spanish capital, adding that he has been in daily contact with Miguel Coelho (PS) with whom he has “an appointment” very soon.

On Monday, the Parish Council of Santa Maria Maior spoke out against the authorisation of filming in the area for “eight nights in a row”, scheduled for July, as it considers that they penalise the right to rest and mobility of the residents.

"I think the two of us are going to sit down and find a solution so that everyone can be happy at this point and so that the filming can take place in a way that doesn't bother people too much, because I don't want people to be bothered either," said the Mayor of Lisbon.

Carlos Moedas stressed that “Lisbon must be open to these opportunities”, since in the area of ​​cinema “it has an incredible potential that all those who work in the area of ​​cinema recognise”, as “the best light in the world, and light is the cinema”, being “unthinkable” that the municipality would not take advantage of this opportunity.

Car crashes and chases

The president of the Parish Council of Santa Maria Maior said, on Monday, that what is at stake is "night footage that involves closing blocks, entire streets, changes in traffic, which imply noise, shooting scenes, crashing cars, motorcycle chases on stairs”, which he considered to be “very difficult to achieve”.

Speaking to the Lusa agency, the mayor stressed that the planned filming plan, of “eight nights in a row”, between 18:00 and 08:00, will “very sharply penalize the quality of life, the right to peace and rest for people living in the territory”, as well as the rights of movement, access and parking, as a result of the “massive occupation” of public space by the film production.

Fulfilling his third consecutive term as the leader of the Parish Council of Santa Maria Maior, Miguel Coelho also said that his executive “never gives a favourable opinion” to the realisation of night shoots, “taking one or another exceptional situation and for a short time” , although the authorisation is the responsibility of the Lisbon City Council.

The Parish Council executive was excluded from the authorisation process of this night filming plan presented by the production company Ready to Shoot, in a production for Netflix, but he is available to find another solution: “More than regretting not having been heard, because I wasn't heard, it's just that there isn't the sensitivity here to realise that this can't be the case”, he added.

Film makers welcomed

Meanwhile, the Union of Commerce and Services Associations (UACS) expressed that it welcomes the filming of the Netflix platform in downtown Lisbon, as it considers that they promote the city and benefit traders, despite the protests of the parish council.

The president of UACS, Carla Salsinha, stated that the position of traders “is obviously favourable” to initiatives that promote the city, which “only benefit the commerce sector”, although they understand “the legitimate” concerns of the president of the Parish Council of Santa Maria Major.