The history of films and filmmaking begins with the Lumière brothers who pioneered the Cinématographe motion picture system. This was not the only contribution French cinema made to the world of filmmaking—the country is home to some of the world’s top actors (Juliette Binoche, Isabelle Huppert, Audrey Tautou, Marion Cotillard, Alain Delon and Jean Dujardin, to name a few), directors (Jean Renoir, Agnès Varda, Julia Ducournau and Jean-Luc Godard, among others) and film festivals. The industry consistently churns out award-winning films every year like Blue is the Warmest Color (2013), Amour (2012), The Artist (2011), Certified Copy (2010) and La Vie en Rose (2007).
If you’re on your France tour this year, check out the following filming locations where some of the greatest French and international films were shot.
There is probably no better place to set a romantic movie than in the so-called “City of Love.” Befikre (2016), Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016), The Devil Wears Prada (2016), Queen (2014), Midnight in Paris (2011), Amélie (2001) and An Evening in Paris (1967) are just a few of the Hindi and English movies that were shot partly or fully in Paris. Locations included the Palais Galliera, the Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris, the Trocadéro district, the Montmartre district, the Arc de Triomphe, the Pont des Arts bridge, the Champ de Mars and of course, the Eiffel Tower.
Home to the world’s most prestigious film festival, the French Riviera, and Cannes in particular, have long attracted filmmakers and production crews. Rust and Bone (2012), Mr Bean’s Holiday (2007), Ronin (1998), French Kiss (1995), To Catch A Thief (1955) and Lady Killer (1937) were all filmed in and around the city at locations such as the Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic, the Promenade de la Croisette, The Carlton Hotel and the Plage Goéland de Cannes.
The northwestern province of Brittany has been the preferred location for many French and international movies and television shows. The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan (2023), Rosalie (2023), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), Sorry Angel (2018), A Very Long Engagement (2004) and My American Uncle (1980) were all filmed in this scenic place. The beauty of Saint-Pierre-Quiberon, Forges des Salles, Duault, Concarneau, Saint-Malo, Plage Bonaparte, Saint-Dégan, Finistère and the Pink Granite Coast were captured perfectly in these movies.
Commonly associated with the Normandy Invasion of World War II when Allied forces landed on five separate beachheads in 1944, this region has towering granite and limestone cliffs which often feature as a backdrop to many movies. The Family (2013), Saving Private Ryan (1998), The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Longest Day (1962) were partly or mostly shot in the province. Places like Port-en-Bessin-Huppain, the Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, Pointe du Hoc, Gacé, Le Sap, L’Aigle and the Normandy American Cemetery were notable filming locations.
As the largest administrative region in France by area and with Bordeaux as its capital, Nouvelle-Aquitaine is primarily known for its world-class vineyards and farming heritage. Chéri (2009), Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001), Les Misérables (1982) and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) were filmed in places such as the Hôtel Du Palais in Biarritz, Monpazier, Sireuil, the Château de Puyguilhem and Château de Jumilhac of Dordogne, and Charente-Maritime.