HomeCultureIbiza on Film: A Cultural Journey from the 1960s to Today
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Ibiza on Film: A Cultural Journey from the 1960s to Today

19.08.2025Culture


Ibiza has long attracted filmmakers and travelers alike, serving as a vibrant backdrop for stories about freedom, art, music, and counterculture. From the hippie heyday of the 1960s to becoming the party capital of the 21st century, the island’s atmosphere has been captured in numerous films of different languages and genres. Below, we explore notable films, and some documentaries, that were shot entirely in Ibiza or are largely set on the White Island. Each film is set against the backdrop of the island’s changing culture, offering a cinematic window into the soul of the island over time.

Although more films have been shot in Ibiza than are featured here, ranging from lighthearted romantic comedies to thrillers, this article has focused on those that have at least some cultural resonance. Whether through their portrayal of local life, their engagement with the island’s history, or their reflection of its subcultures, these works go beyond using Ibiza as a mere postcard backdrop. They offer a glimpse into the island’s evolving identity, capturing moments and moods that help define its place in cinema.

The counterculture era (1960s–1970s)

Ibiza first appeared on the big screen in the 1960s, when it was a remote bohemian enclave. Early films depicted an island with a simple rural lifestyle and a fledgling hippie subculture, reflecting the pioneering days before mass tourism.

• The Day (1960): One of the first films shot in Ibiza, this 26-minute short film by actor and director Peter Finch is a semi-documentary about the daily life of a young Ibizan. At a time when the island was still quiet and traditional, The Day captures the rustic charm of Ibiza through the eyes of a child, offering a time capsule of local culture before the hippie invasion.

This is one of the rarest and hardest-to-find films ever shot on the island. Although it won awards in Venice and Cork in 1961, it was never commercially released, and today only physical copies are preserved in archives such as the NFSA in Australia and the BFI in the United Kingdom. Public screenings have been few and far between, including a one-off event in Ibiza in 2017, making it a highly coveted gem for both film buffs and lovers of the island’s cultural history.

• Hallucination Generation (1966): a low-budget American drama set among expatriate beatniks on the white island. Presented as a cautionary tale “about the dangers of going on vacation to Ibiza, taking free drugs, and falling in love,” the film follows a disillusioned young man who joins a drug-dealing guru. Notably, its black-and-white scenes suddenly explode into psychedelic colors during an LSD trip sequence. Although sensationalist in execution, Hallucination Generation stands as a testament to the emerging counterculture on the island in the 1950s and 1960s, depicting Ibiza as a refuge for beatniks and bohemians living on the fringes of society.

• More (1969): Barbet Schroeder’s directorial debut, More is a cult classic of 1960s counterculture cinema. A German student and a free-spirited American woman travel to Ibiza, where their love story becomes entangled with heroin addiction amid the sun-drenched beauty of the island. With a soundtrack by Pink Floyd and dreamlike cinematography by Néstor Almendros, More was controversial for its frank depiction of drugs and sex, and was even censored in several countries. Beyond the tragic love story, the film is appreciated for its authentic portrayal of Ibiza in the late 1960s: an island “populated by locals, bohemian hippies, and strange characters,” untouched by mass tourism. The camera lingers on Ibiza’s landscapes—whitewashed villages, sunny coves, and ruins atop cliffs—giving the film an organic, almost mystical atmosphere that reflects the hedonistic paradise sought by the characters.

• F for Fake (1973): Orson Welles’ ingenious docudrama features Ibiza in a true story about art and deception. The film portrays the famous art forger Elmyr de Hory at his home in Ibiza, alongside writer Clifford Irving (author of a biography of Elmyr entitled Fake). Welles uses the Ibiza setting as more than just a picturesque backdrop: it symbolizes the island’s role as a refuge for the marginalized and creative con artists of the 1960s. In F for Fake, parties in sunny Ibizan villas host debates about truth and illusion in art. This entertaining “essay film” blurs reality and fiction, just as Ibiza blurred the boundaries between legend and reality for the many eccentrics who found refuge there. Welles’ description adds a new dimension to Ibiza’s cultural image: not only as a hippie paradise, but also as a refuge for artistic rebels who live by their own rules.

The 1980s: Comedy and chaos in paradise

In the 1980s, Ibiza’s reputation as a party destination began to appear in more commercial films, often in the form of light comedies. These films may not have been cult classics, but they reflect how the world at large began to see Ibiza: as a sunny land of bikinis, beach bars, and fun misadventures, capturing the birth of the electronic music club scene that would soon dominate its identity abroad.

• Beautiful and Wild on Ibiza (1980): This West German comedy (original title Die schönen Wilden von Ibiza) follows a young couple on vacation who discover that their hotel room has been double-booked, leading to a series of hilarious antics on the island. Like many European “sunny comedies” of its era, the film is based on sex, sand, and silliness. Although culturally superficial, it is revealing that Ibiza was chosen as the setting, emblematic of uninhibited fun. The German title of the film literally means “The Beautiful Savages of Ibiza,” a phrase that in itself hints at how outsiders viewed the island’s free-spirited atmosphere.

• Sunshine Reggae auf Ibiza (1983): Another example of 1980s kitsch, this German musical comedy revels in the hedonistic stereotypes of Ibiza. It features a mix-up that sends a straight-laced bank clerk to the island, where he encounters nudist beaches, nightclubs, and flamboyant characters under the Mediterranean sun. With a reggae-pop theme song and broad humor, the film is not exactly a nuanced view of life on the island. However, it cemented the pop culture caricature of Ibiza as the ultimate party island, full of eccentric expats and anything-goes adventures. As frivolous as they were, these films indicate that by the 1980s, Ibiza’s appeal for its “sun, beach, sex, and party” had spread around the world.

In the 1980s, other productions were filmed in Ibiza, but in most cases the island served as a sunny backdrop rather than a true cultural setting. Films such as the spy comedy The Trouble with Spies (1987) and the Welsh television movie Ibiza, Ibiza (1986) used its beaches and streets to add color, without engaging with local life or the island’s identity. These titles illustrate how, during that decade, Ibiza was often portrayed as an interchangeable Mediterranean postcard rather than for its unique character.

The rave revolution and DJ culture (1990s–2000s)

In the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, the island was transformed by the explosion of electronic music and club culture. Filmmakers responded with documentaries and dramas that captured Ibiza’s new role as a mecca for clubbers. At the same time, some films nostalgically recalled the hippie era or explored other facets of Ibizan life, allowing the island’s cultural mosaic to continue to be represented in diverse ways.

• A Short Film About Chilling (1990): this British television documentary (Channel 4) is an essential snapshot of Ibiza at the dawn of the rave era. Filmed in the summer of 1990, just as acid house and Balearic beats were putting Ibiza on the map, it follows a group of British DJs, club promoters, and young people on their pilgrimage to the island. What makes this documentary particularly interesting is its juxtaposition of nightlife and local life: it alternates between scenes of all-night clubs and quiet moments in the daily lives of the island’s inhabitants. This contrast vividly conveys “the magic of the island”: the beauty of the Ibizan countryside is always present in the background, even when the DJs’ beats are thumping in the foreground. The film captures a golden age, now past, of innocence, and captures the club culture before the scene became commercialized, making it a must-see for anyone curious about how Ibiza became the party capital of the world.

• El tiempo de la felicidad (1997) – In the 1990s, Spanish cinema reflected on the early days of Ibiza. The Time of Happiness is a Spanish comedy-drama set in the summer of 1970, at the height of the hippie movement. Directed by Manuel Iborra, it follows an eccentric family from Madrid who spend their holidays in Ibiza amid a backdrop of free love and counterculture. The parents and their teenage children become involved in romantic and sexual adventures with the island’s hippies. Through a nostalgic lens, the film portrays the island as a place of self-discovery and social liberation, contrasting the traditional family dynamic with the unconventional lifestyle they encounter. For Spanish audiences, Tiempo de felicidad offered an endearing (albeit slightly bittersweet) look at how the hippie invasion of Ibiza affected everyday life, all against the backdrop of the idyllic beaches and carefree atmosphere of 1970s Ibiza. (Fun fact: although set in Ibiza, much of the film was shot on the neighboring island of Mallorca, but it still exudes the authentic charm of the Pitiusan Islands).

• Kevin & Perry Go Large (2000) – Not all portrayals of Ibiza’s club scene were serious. This British teen comedy (a spin-off from a TV sketch) became a cult film in the UK for its funny and affectionate take on Ibiza’s DJ culture. Kevin and Perry are two clumsy London teenagers who fly to Ibiza with a single goal: to “make it” as DJs (and maybe lose their virginity). The film satirizes the clubbing experience, from the superstar DJs at Amnesia to the embarrassing antics on the dance floor, but it also celebrates the island’s appeal to young music lovers. Culturally, it shows how in 2000 even conventional British teenagers saw Ibiza as the ultimate destination for rites of passage. Although it is full of crude humor and clichés, the soundtrack (featuring tracks by Ibiza DJ Judge Jules) and filming in real locations give it an air of authenticity amid the laughs.

• Sex and Lucía (2001) – Although set mainly in Formentera (Ibiza’s smaller sister island), this Spanish film by Julio Medem is often celebrated alongside films centered on Ibiza for its sensual depiction of the island atmosphere. In this erotic and sensual drama, a grieving young woman (Paz Vega) escapes to tranquil Formentera after the death of her lover. There, among secluded beaches and sunsets at the lighthouse, she rediscovers herself and uncovers secrets about her late partner’s past. Sex and Lucía uses the island’s serene beauty as a mirror for its characters’ emotional journey: the tranquil coves and blinding sun become symbols of both healing and passion. Medem’s non-linear, dreamlike narrative blurs reality and imagination, just as Ibiza and Formentera blur the line between vacation and real life. By including this film, we see how the Pitiusas Islands as a whole inspire stories of love, loss, and liberation far deeper than any disco anthem.


• It’s All Gone Pete Tong (2004) – A mockumentary drama that offers a more poignant look at the excesses and dangers of DJ nightlife in Ibiza. This Canadian-British film follows the fictional DJ, named Frankie Wilde, a superstar on the Ibiza club circuit who tragically loses his hearing due to years of loud music and substance abuse. What follows is a darkly comical and ultimately uplifting story about Frankie’s fall and redemption: from cocaine-fueled despair (haunted by a hallucinatory “cocaine badger”) to his reinvention as a deaf DJ who mixes using vibrations. Shot entirely on location in Ibiza at venues such as Pacha, Amnesia, Privilege, and the iconic Pike’s Hotel, the film is brimming with local color and cameos. It’s All Gone Pete Tong balances outrageous humor with heartfelt moments, and won awards at international festivals for its portrayal of one man’s connection to music against all odds. It highlights Ibiza’s cultural status as a place where music is life, and offers a clever moral fable about the ups and downs of fame in the clubbing world.

• Aislados (2005) – This film by Ibizan director David Marqués stands out as a local independent production that captures the voice of the island from within. Shot entirely in Ibiza, Aislados is a minimalist work with a well-written script that focuses on two friends who spend their days engaging in witty, often absurd conversations about life, relationships, and the peculiarities of their existence in a small world. Marqués uses the island’s landscapes sparingly, allowing the coves and countryside to pepper the dialogue-rich narrative, and in doing so, reflects a side of Ibiza far removed from tourist clichés. The cult following the film has garnered in Spain is largely due to its deadpan humor and authenticity, reminding us that Ibiza’s creativity is not only imported but also cultivated by its own storytellers.

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Ibiza also appeared in numerous international B movies, thrillers, and romances, from American direct-to-video action films (Welcome 2 Ibiza) to Dutch romantic comedies (Loving Ibiza). Although many of them are forgettable, they underscore Ibiza’s global reputation as the ideal setting for adventure and romance. Even when treated superficially, the island’s backdrop, with its blue seas and legendary nightlife, remains a major draw for filmmakers looking to inject exotic energy into their stories.

Modern reflections and documentaries (2010–2020)


In recent years, filmmakers have approached Ibiza with a more reflective eye, recognizing its nuanced history and the contrasts between its hedonistic image and local reality. From thought-provoking dramas to comprehensive documentaries, the 2010s and 2020s have produced works that examine Ibiza’s cultural legacy, building bridges between the past and the present, fiction and reality.

• Ibiza Occident (2011) – This documentary delves into the island’s legendary nightlife, tracing the roots of its club culture from the free-spirited gatherings of the 1960s to the rise of the superclubs that define its current global reputation. Directed with the eye of a connoisseur, Ibiza Occident combines archival footage, interviews with pioneering DJs, club owners, and residents, and evocative shots of both the dance floors and the island’s serene landscapes. Rather than portraying nightlife as a superficial party scene, the film explores its evolution as a cultural phenomenon, shaped by hippie ideals, Mediterranean openness, and the convergence of music, fashion, and art. In doing so, it positions Ibiza’s nightlife culture not as an imported fad, but as an indigenous movement born from the island’s unique history of creative and social freedom.

• Bluu, Last Days of Ibiza (2013) – Despite its English title, this little-known French-Spanish drama by Alain Deymier combines suspense with the island’s most esoteric traditions. The story follows Nat, a Parisian who arrives in Ibiza during a heavy storm and is reunited with her childhood friend, Sandra, only to be drawn into the orbit of a strange sect led by a charismatic figure who preaches the “last days” of the island. Although fictional, the film is inspired by authentic aspects of Ibiza’s identity: its long history as a refuge for spiritual seekers, alternative communities, and outsiders pursuing radical transformation. Although it never reached a wide audience, Bluu functions as a “hidden gem” of Ibizan cinema, offering a darker and more mystical counterpoint to the sun-and-music narratives that dominate representations of the island.

• Amnesia (2015): Directed by Barbet Schroeder (who returns to Ibiza decades after his film More), Amnesia is a quiet and captivating drama set in 1990, just as Ibiza’s club scene was taking off. Jo, a young German DJ and composer, moves to the island hoping to join the nascent electronic music revolution and befriends Martha, a much older German expatriate who has been living in seclusion in Ibiza for decades. Their platonic friendship becomes an intergenerational dialogue about history and identity. Martha refuses to speak German or acknowledge her homeland, having fled the horrors of World War II: she carries the weight of Holocaust trauma and guilt, something Jo’s post-war generation struggles to understand. As their bond deepens, the film explores the contrasts between Jo’s progressive optimism and Martha’s tormented past. Ibiza, “the idyllic island,” serves as neutral ground for this emotional reckoning. Through stunning coastal imagery and intimate performances (by Marthe Keller and Max Riemelt), Amnesia also shows an Ibiza beyond the party scene, a place where people go to forget or to heal.

• Ibiza (2019) – Arnaud Lemort’s comedy focuses on the culture shock experienced by a stuffy Parisian doctor (Christian Clavier) who goes on vacation to the island with his new partner’s teenage children. What begins as a reluctant family vacation turns into a series of chaotic encounters with Ibiza’s nightlife, beach mishaps, and eccentric locals. While relying on easy laughs and slapstick humor, the film also addresses how Ibiza’s energy can disrupt routines and push people, even the most uptight, toward unexpected personal discovery. Although clearly a comedy, it offers a lighthearted counterpoint to more serious portrayals of the island, reminding viewers that Ibiza’s appeal works for all generations.

• Ibiza: The Silent Movie (2019) – A truly unique documentary by director Julien Temple, this film ambitiously tells the entire history of Ibiza, from ancient times to the present day, without any spoken dialogue. Instead, Temple uses archival footage, stylized reconstructions, on-screen text, and a continuous soundtrack (created by DJ Fatboy Slim) to create a “silent” and sensory cinematic experience. The result is a concise, entertaining, and yet profound history of the world’s most famous hedonistic island. Temple traces the history of Ibiza from the Phoenician settlers in 654 BC, through the Roman, Moorish, and Catalan eras, to the arrival in the 20th century of beatniks, hippies, rock stars, and ravers. The film highlights the patterns of Ibiza’s history: how each wave of newcomers sought utopia, whether spiritual or psychedelic. With vivid images and ironic juxtapositions, Temple celebrates Ibiza’s free-spirited legacy, while criticizing the price its culture and landscape have paid for exploitation. He has described the film as a “cinematic essay” and even an intervention, hoping that today’s partygoers will pause to reflect on “the land on which they dance.” Ibiza: The Silent Movie stands out as a comprehensive tribute: by covering the myths and realities of the island, it sums up why Ibiza is not just a party destination, but a phenomenon of cultural fusion and reinvention.

• Un tiempo precioso (2020)– Directed by Spanish filmmaker Miguel Molina, this intimate drama is set primarily in Ibiza, interweaving themes such as family ties, mortality, and the transience of life. The film follows a man facing a terminal diagnosis who decides to return to the island, where the vivid landscapes and tranquil Mediterranean light frame his personal reflection. By setting his story in Ibiza, Molina takes advantage of the island’s duality—a place of carefree beauty, but also of reflection and closure—using its quieter, off-season settings rather than its festive side. This makes Un tiempo precioso part of the more contemplative side of Ibizan cinema, where the location serves as a backdrop for human truths rather than tourist spectacles.

• The Europeans (2020)– This Spanish film offers a nostalgic look even further back, to the late 1950s, when Ibiza was first “discovered” by Spaniards during the Franco era and other Europeans as a permissive paradise. Two young people from Madrid arrive in Ibiza in 1958, attracted by stories of sun, sea, and sexual freedom with tourists from northern Europe. Hoping to find an easy place for holiday romances, they instead face unexpected realities and heartbreak. The Europeans is based on a 1960 novel by Rafael Azcona and portrays the island in the late 1950s as a meeting point between conservative Spanish society and liberal foreign influences. The film’s period details and dramatic comedy tone earned it critical acclaim and several Goya Award nominations in 2020. Culturally, it is fascinating because it shows Ibiza just before the hippie explosion, a rustic canvas on which early tourists and locals negotiated different morals. Watching it after seeing films from the 1960s and 1970s, one appreciates how quickly Ibiza’s culture changed. In essence, Los europeos allows us to witness the prologue to Ibiza’s countercultural era: those first sparks of change when an isolated island began its transformation into an icon of freedom.

• Disco, Ibiza, Locomía (2024) – The island’s club scene in the 1980s comes to life in this recent Spanish biographical drama. It tells the story of Locomía, the eccentric electro-pop band famous for their extravagant costumes and fan choreography, which began its journey on the Ibiza club circuit. Set on the vibrant island in the 1980s, the film follows a group of fashion-obsessed friends who arrive in Ibiza and form the band under the wing of a local music producer. The true story of Locomía is intertwined with the club culture of Ibiza in the 1980s—they were resident artists at the super-disco Ku (now Universe)—making this biopic an extravagant but insightful look at a unique chapter in the island’s nightlife. From shoulder pads to synth-pop anthems, Disco, Ibiza, Locomía revels in the details of the era. It also doesn’t shy away from the drama of clashing egos and industry pressures that led to the band’s collapse. More broadly, it highlights the island as a cradle of creative experimentation, where even a group of unconventional glam artists could become an international sensation, embodying the mantra that anything can happen in Ibiza.

• The Evolution of Ibiza: Can the White Isle Retain Its Legendary Magic? (2024) – This hour-long documentary, produced by AlphaTheta (the parent company of Pioneer DJs), offers a contemporary overview of Ibiza’s cultural arc. Directors Dan Tait and Laurence Koe interweave interviews with pioneering DJs (including Carl Cox, Norman Cook, Chloé Caillet, and Franky Wah), local authorities, and long-time residents to trace Ibiza’s evolution from its countercultural and hippie roots in the 1960s to becoming the world’s premier destination for electronic dance music. Importantly, the film does not limit itself to nostalgia: it explores the challenges the island now faces—rising costs, overtourism, and pressures toward exclusivity—and ultimately asks whether Ibiza can preserve its spirit of creative freedom and community access in a rapidly changing world.

From poetic documentaries to riotous comedies, the films of the last six decades collectively weave a narrative about Ibiza’s unique place in the cultural imagination. They show us an island continually redefined by those who arrive on its shores, whether humble peasants, marginalized hippies, visionary artists, superstar DJs, or ordinary families. For cinephiles interested in Ibiza, these films offer more than scenic escapism; they are windows into the island’s soul, each capturing a different facet of its ever-evolving identity.

Therefore, watching these films in chronological order can feel like a time-travel trip through Ibiza’s history. You’ll witness the quiet innocence of a 1960s Mediterranean village, the psychedelic freedom of the 1960s, the absurdist, sun-drenched antics of the 1980s, the revolutionary raves of the 1990s, and the thoughtful nostalgia and modern complexities of the new millennium. Throughout it all, Ibiza remains a charismatic character, sometimes serene and natural, other times vibrant with music and neon lights, but always a catalyst for personal transformation. In the end, that may be its greatest role in film and in life: a magical island that represents escape and rebirth. Each of these films, in its own way, invites viewers to experience that magic, under the sun and stars of the Balearic Islands.

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