Silence, rolling... and action!
Burgundy, land of cinema
What do French films La Grande Vadrouille by Gérard Oury, Cyrano de Bergerac by Jean-Paul Rappeneau, and Ce qui nous lie by Cédric Klapish all have in common? All of them, in full or in part, were filmed in Burgundy.
Here, each building, each town and each monument is the ideal setting for a film. It's therefore not surprising that Burgundy has become a favourite region with filmmakers over the years.
significant inventions in the world of cinema
Pioneers and inventors from Burgundy
The inventor of "moving pictures", Etienne-Jules Marey was from Beaune. In 1882, he developed the photographic gun, a device with which he could photograph a moving subject over 12 consecutive frames. The same year, he discovered how to place all the movements onto the same picture, and that is how chronophotography came to be! His work served as the inspiration for cinema!
In the field of optics, Burgundy is also proud that the inventor of photography, Nicéphore-Niepce, and the inventor of the zoom, Roger Cuvilliers, were both born here.
So it shouldn't come as a surprise that the region has always been a fan of cinema!
Visit the Nicéphore-Nièpce MuseumSettings and filming locations
Burgundy also boasts some superb architectural and cultural heritage sites that are ideal for cinema and TV. Picture-perfect villages, enchanting châteaus, thousand-year-old abbeys, gourmet towns, there are so many different settings available throughout this region, that has become a firm favourite with many directors.
A closer look at two places that have attracted and inspired the world of cinema:
Noyers-sur-Serein
A picture-perfect village that is perfect for historical reenactments. Dozens of films have been filmed here, including La Grande Vadrouille, Molière and Le Comédien Malgré Lui (a 2007 film with Romain Duris) and Mon Oncle Benjamin (Comedy from 1960 with Jacques Brel).
Find out more about Noyers-sur-Serein
La Route des Grands Crus (The Route of the Great Wines)
The area around Beaune, Dijon and La Route des Grands Crus (Route of the Great Wines) has been used as the filming location for many scenarios on the theme of wine. One example is Mondovino, a documentary film about the life of a Burgundian family fighting to keep their vines. More recently, Ce qui nous lie by Cédric Klapish, a true ode to the love of wine and Burgundy, was filmed in the countryside around the houses and vineyards of the Côte de Beaune.
La Route des Grands CrusThese masterpieces of cinema were filmed in Burgundy:
- La Grande Vadrouille (Don't look now... we're being shot at!), the greatest success of French cinema with 17 million cinema admissions. Some memorable scenes were filmed in Burgundy. For example, who could forget the scene with the two Englishmen at the Hospices de Beaune?
- Cyrano de Bergerac, a great film of the 90s that was awarded 10 Césars and 10 Oscars. Several scenes were filmed at Fontenay Abbey.
- Chocolat with Juliette Binoche and Johny Depp, nominated for five Oscars. The small village of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain was the chosen setting for this film which was without a doubt the most expensive ever to be filmed in Burgundy.
Did you know?
Festival du Film Policier
Burgundy has always been a popular location for key events in the world of cinema. One of them is the Festival International du Film Policier (International Festival of Detective Films) which is held every year in Beaune. This is an unmissable event for fans of detective films.
The most popular filming locations in Burgundy
Charming village Noyers-sur-Serein: visiting the village and surrounding area
48 hours Sightseeing in Beaune, capital of Burgundy wines
Where wine tourism first began The Route des Grands Crus de Bourgogne
Dijon
Delicious destination Flavigny-sur-Ozerain: visiting the village and surrounding area
A journey into the past Fontenay Abbey: nature, heritage and silence