France in the movies
France is a tourist destination recognized around the world. Thanks to their unique charm, many cities attract large numbers of tourists. It is therefore natural that France is the filming location of choice for many directors.
Do you know the filming locations in France?
01 《Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain》
Paris
Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain was shot in the Montmartre district of Paris.
When it was released in 2001, the film was screened in more than 40 countries around the world. The French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet knew how to create a rich and fantastic universe where the feelings of the characters touch you with an uncommon force. The film tells the story of Amélie, a waitress in a café, whose life will change completely following an unexpected discovery …
Audrey Tautou flies the screen in this career-boosting role.
Thanks to this film, Montmartre attracts a large number of tourists. Paris through the camera is an ideal, but it is real. We discover the Saint-Martin canal full of everyday life, the double windmill café of the Sacré-Coeur cathedral … Each image in the film is like a romantic postcard with a strong French flavor.
02 《Taxi》
Marseille
The Taxi series began in 1998 and has five films to date. Taxi 1 at the time broke the record for cinema attendance in France and won seven Césars. This comedy revolves around the explosive duo of a driving cab driver and a nervous policeman. With its many action and racing scenes, its many twists and breathtaking humor, this film has become a classic of French comedy.
The five 《Taxi》 were filmed in Marseille. In particular, the clip at the end of the first “Taxi” is so “classic”, and it almost became a Marseille advertisement. Marseille is Luc Besson’s favorite French city, so he chose Marseille as his filming location on several occasions. Marseille is located in the south of France and is the largest French port city It is the starting point of the French Riviera, with beautiful natural landscapes and a rich history.
03 《Le château ambulant》
Colmar
Released in 2004, Howl’s Moving Castle is an animated film by famous Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. Here we can find its characteristic touch, with a moving story and graphic aesthetics. In it, he expresses his anti-militarism and his humanism, through a love story in the context of war. The film was nominated for an Oscar for best animated feature in 2006. Miyazaki presents Howl’s Moving Castle as his most satisfying work.
Colmar is located in the Alsace region of eastern France with strong German influences. Indeed, due to the war, this land changed sovereignty between Germany and France on several occasions. Therefore, the local architectural style of Colmar is deeply influenced by Germany and has gradually formed its own unique style. In order to shoot the film, Hayao Miyazaki came to Colmar, in search of inspiration in this small town.
04 《Magie au clair de lune》
Nice
Released in the United States in 2014, “Moonlight Magic” is Woody Allen’s second work on France after Midnight in Paris. This is a romantic comedy set in the south of France in the 1920s. The film tells the story of a mother and her daughter, the latter claiming to have psychic gifts. They will have to deal with an eccentric and rationalist Englishman, who will seek to demonstrate that his powers are a sham. But in adversity, feelings will quickly mingle
Woody Allen is known as one of the most literary and artistic directors, and it is no coincidence that he chose Nice as his filming location. Nice is a city in the south-east of France, located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, it is the second tourist city in France after Paris. Blue waters, idyllic beaches, unique exotic Mediterranean cuisine … It is a well-deserved vacation paradise in the hearts of the French. In addition to the natural seascape, the Nice Observatory, the Nice Opera and so on that appear in this film are also popular attractions.
Directors around the world seem to love France. Whether it is a metropolis like Paris or a small town like Colmar, France offers the perfect dream space for cinematographic art.
If you enjoy these movies, head to these filming locations in person. These French-style cultural buildings and natural landscapes have become eternal in the movies, and the unique French landscape hidden in the movie is still waiting for us to explore and appreciate.