In 1946, Maurice Gleize was the first filmmaker to bring his cameras to Nantes to shoot "Le bateau à soupe". Since then, more than 92 films have been shot in Loire-Atlantique, including 37 in Nantes and 20 in Saint-Nazaire, according to Antoine Rabaste, author in 2013 of the book "Il était une fois à l'Ouest. Nantes et Saint-Nazaire sous les projecteurs". If Jacques Demy made Nantes his favorite filming location, other directors have also set up their sets there. This is the case of Claude Chabrol or Jean-Loup Hubert, originally from the small fishing village of Trentemoult, and a few others... A little guide to films made in Nantes for those who want to shine in Nantes society.
Les vacances de monsieur Hulot, de Jacques Tati - 1953
This one is not shot in Nantes but it's a classic that definitely belongs on the list!udem.
Welcome to the city of Saint-Nazaire, in the seaside resort of Saint-Marc-sur-Mer. Here you can see the beach and its hotel, as well as the cemetery. Jacques Tati chose this filming location after visiting friends in Saint-Nazaire. He was charmed by the beach of Saint-Marc and promised himself to come back one day to shoot a film.Lola, by Jacques Demy - 1961
Back to his roots for Jacques Demy, who rediscovers the city of his childhood, its alleys, its Passage Pommeraye. He shoots "Lola" there, with Anouk Aimée, passing through La Baule. In the film, where Lola is a dancer at the Graslin theater, you can see La Cigale, Place Graslin, Place de la Petite-Hollande, Quai de la Fosse, Passage Pommeraye and the staircase, now disappeared, of Rue de l'Abreuvoir. Since then, it's as if Lola has been haunting these places a little.
A Room in Town, by Jacques Demy - 1982
Set against a strike in Nantes, François Guilbaud, a worker, and Edith, love each other in the backdrop of a room in town, rented by the worker from Edith's mother. Completely sung, Jacques Demy's film was praised by critics but ignored by the public upon its release. While the indoor scenes were shot in a studio in Paris, all the outdoor scenes were filmed in Nantes. You can see the Cathedral, many streets of Nantes, and even the Pommeraye passage...
Stand Up, Crabs, the Sea is Rising, by Jean-Jacques Grand-Jouan - 1983
When Marthe is released from prison, she only has one thing on her mind: to go to Nantes to satisfy her vengeance. Yes, but what she satisfies are her sexual urges.Louis Paimbœuf stands out. The director, Jean-Jacques Grand-Jouan, was born in Nantes in 1949. He filmed two movies there: "Debout les crabes, la mer monte" (where you can catch a glimpse of the interior of the La Cigale brewery) and "Rue du pied de grue" in 1979. La reine blanche, by Jean-Loup Hubert - 1991 Born in Nantes in 1949, Jean-Loup Hubert spent his childhood in the small village of Trentemoult. In "La reine blanche," he tells a romance against the backdrop of the true story of the election of the first mixed-race queen of Nantes, which caused a stir at the time. Liliane reluctantly married Jean Ripoche while her other suitor, Yvon, sailed away without a word. A few years later, they meet again at Passage Pommeraye. Jean-Loup Hubert also filmed "Le grand chemin" in Rouans.
Crazy Wednesday, by Pascal Thomas - 2001
Vincent Lindon plays a father who has to take care of his daughter for a day... in Nantes. Throughout the day, he makes multiple mistakes. Shot in Nantes, the film owes its title to the well-known event of the Nantais people: the Crazy Days. You can visit the city through the Place de la Petite-Hollande, Place Mellinet, tram line 2, the former Misery quarry, or even the Jules Verne museum, before ending with a stroll along the Sèvre.
The Bridesmaid, by Claude Chabrol - 2004
In this thriller by Claude Chabrol, Benoît Magimel and Laura Smet dangerously fall in love, especially on the beaches of Pornic and the Nantes region. In the film, we see a very unsettling grand bourgeois house. Chabrol recounts that he searched for a house near Nantes, visited dozens, but ultimately, it was worth it.It doesn't matter that the building was found in Paris. What matters is the beaches of the department that we admire there!
A Kiss, Please, by Emmanuel Mouret - 2007
During a business trip to Nantes, Emilie (Julie Gayet) meets Gabriel. Seduced, they would like to kiss but each one already has their own life and, above all, a story prevents Emilie from letting go: that of a married woman who kisses her best friend. A kiss that will change everything. In Emmanuel Mouret's film, you can see the Dobrée Museum, near where Julie Gayet's character stays.
The Hip Moves, by HPG - 2012
HPG's second feature film, The Hip Moves, creates surprise by bringing together stars like Éric Cantona, Jérôme.The film tells the story of Hervé, a loner who takes self-defense classes and, to pass time, observes the amusing love couple formed by a man who prostitutes his wife. The film's backdrop includes the Hangar à Bananes, the Nouvelles Cliniques Nantaises, and the Talensac neighborhood.
Cessez le feu, by Emmanuel Courcol - 2016
The film was shot in Nantes in 2015. You can see Romain Duris and Céline Salette wandering the streets of Nantes trying to escape the memories of war. Set in 1923, you can spot the Cours Cambronne, the Hôtel de Préfecture, the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Cathedral, and the Saint-Mihiel bridge.
