Barcelona’s port handles about 70 million tons of goods each year, anchoring its status as a major European gateway. In 2023, authorities seized 10,000 kilos of cocaine hidden in containers from around the world, yet experts estimate that such seizures represent only a fraction of the drugs entering through the port. This context cements Barcelona as a critical entry point for illicit goods and a focal point for crime in the region. Director Lluís Quilez had long contemplated a story rooted in this reality, and he chose his hometown and its bustling port as the backdrop for his newest project. The result is a gripping series titled Iron Hand, which premiered on Netflix on Friday, March 15.
The title characterizes both the protagonist and the dynamic at the heart of the story. Joaquin Manchado, who operates the port’s principal terminal, uses his control to profit from a covert network that facilitates illegal shipments slipping into the flow of ordinary cargo. Wearing an orthopedic prosthesis due to a missing hand, he governs his family and his criminal operation with an iron will, a forceful presence embodied by a powerhouse ensemble that includes Chino Darín, Sergi López, Enric Auquer, Jaime Lorente and Natalia de Molina.
The dramatic arc unfolds around the disruption caused by the disappearance of a major cocaine shipment, unleashing a violent war fueled by murders, betrayals, and shifting loyalties. Quílez explains that the series draws on real-world ideas—incidents involving dock workers, customs officials, and infiltrated police—while maintaining a fictional narrative. He notes that, to his knowledge, there has been little storytelling about this world since the Olympics and points to locations such as La Barceloneta and the port area in shaping the atmosphere of the drama. More Street, the Port de Barcelona, Raval, Parallel, and Quinqui cinema influences surface throughout the series as well.
Iron Hand does more than present contemporary Barcelona; it also offers a cinematic look back at the city’s past. Flashback sequences delve into the origins of the characters, and each episode centers on a different figure, gradually revealing how the intricate dynamics within the Manchado family come together. The series adopts an unconventional multi-plot structure that supports the central, evolving storyline.
an unreachable place
Quílez emphasizes that all the series’ locations feel authentic and that the port itself is the event’s pulse. The production spanned five months and presented substantial challenges due to the site’s scale and complexity. He describes the port as an alluring but highly inaccessible setting, noting that the crew faced technical hurdles to capture the realism aimed for in the project. The result, in his view, is akin to filmmaking that treats the port as its own character, a choice that intensified the overall effort and required meticulous planning.
In the director’s eyes, the production seeks a documentary-like fidelity about processes and operations, then weaves them into a fictional narrative with a strongly human core. The intention is to present an authentic, almost procedural glimpse of how a port functions, while maintaining the suspense, action, and personal stakes of a thriller. The series blends crisis, power plays, and strategic maneuvering into a dense tapestry that invites viewers to piece together a larger puzzle.
A core theme centers on mutual distrust and shifting allegiances. Eduard Fernández portrays the lead in a scenario where trust is scarce and every alliance is suspect. The actor who plays the port’s shadowy patriarch adds that the show is a puzzle in which appearances frequently deceive, and揭 deceit emerges gradually as the story unfolds.
without speaking Catalan
Although filmed in Barcelona, the series deliberately avoids Catalan dialogue. Quílez explains that attempting to depict bilingual realism on screen can feel forced or distracting, and he chose to prioritize immersion in the Iron Hand narrative over linguistic experimentation. His goal was for audiences to enter the world of the port and its characters without the friction of language dynamics, ensuring a seamless, dreamlike experience rather than a documentary exercise. The result, he asserts, invites viewers to suspend disbelief and immerse themselves in the series’ atmosphere and tensions.