«Barcelona es una ciudad que respira arte», por Jacques Barreau
Jacques Barreau is Vice President of Media and Interactive Entertainment at TransPerfect, with over 20 years of leadership in the localization industry. Previously, he worked at Warner Bros., overseeing global localization in more than 40 languages for films and franchises such as Batman and Harry Potter. Since February of this year, he has been serving as President of the Entertainment Globalization Association (EGA).
Why did you choose Barcelona?
Barcelona is a city that breathes art—from its architecture and street murals to its music and energy. As a musician and creative person, I was drawn to it immediately. Having grown up in Marseille and with my wife, an Italian from Rome, we both missed that Southern European spirit while living in Los Angeles. Barcelona gave it all back to us: warmth, rhythm, energy, and lifestyle. Moreover, Europe feels tiny compared to the United States, and from Barcelona it’s incredibly easy to catch a plane and be anywhere in a very short time.
¿What aspects of the city would you highlight as positive?
During my time at Warner Bros., I was in charge of film dubbing in Spanish in both Madrid and Barcelona; it was then that I truly discovered how international Barcelona is. It is a genuine melting pot of cultures: French (naturally, as we share a border), but also Italians, Brits, Germans, Latin Americans, and many more. This mix drives constant cultural exchange and fuels creativity in countless areas.
What aspects of the city need improvement? How?
Traffic in Barcelona is beginning to feel like that of any major European capital, and this is becoming a problem. Although the train and bus systems work very well and provide solid alternatives to car use, there is still room for improvement. The city also experiences some minor crime—mainly pickpocketing—so it’s important to stay alert. And while tourism undoubtedly drives the local economy, it also raises prices and fuels real estate inflation. It’s one of those situations that has both positive and negative sides at the same time.
What do you hope for in Barcelona in the coming years?
Barcelona is rapidly becoming an international hub for localization and technology. The city already hosts major annual events such as the Film Expo and ISE, which draw large crowds each year. Thanks to its multilingual environment and global mindset, Barcelona is the ideal place to bring people from all over the world together for events like these.
Which city do you feel is yours? What do you miss the most?
After having spent much of my life in Los Angeles—where my two children were born—I now feel much more at home here. I deeply missed the warm Mediterranean Sea. The beaches in Los Angeles are wide and spectacular, but the water is always cold, which probably explains why so many people skate, ride bikes, or play volleyball and basketball along the coast, from Santa Monica to Malibu. They are iconic, energetic places, but having been born on the shores of the Mediterranean, I know this is truly where I belong.
