Normandy offers its guests grandiose landscapes, extraordinary characters, picturesque villages and Preserved nature. It is not surprising that there are many films shot in our beautiful region. Do you think you’ve seen every movie shot in Normandy? There are probably more of them than you thought. Some of these films have received the highest distinctions: Cesar, Oscar, Palme d’Or… Here are our 12 must-see films!
To begin, and because of our proximity to the landing beaches, we recommend that you see or review: “Save Private Ryan“. A film that takes place in Normandy but the landing scenes were actually shot in Ireland. The final scene is at the American cemetery in Colleville-sur-mer. Synopsis: Allied forces land in Normandy. Captain Miller must lead his unit behind enemy lines on a dangerous mission to find and bring back safe and sound Private James Ryan, whose three brothers were killed in action in the space of three days.
An alternative: “The longest day” You’ll be able to see: the battery of Longues-sur-Mer (Calvados) / some scenes before the landing, La pointe du Hoc in Vierville-sur-Mer (Calvados), Caen (Calvados), Bayeux (Calvados), Port-en-Bessin-Huppain (Calvados), The Café Gondrée, next to the Pegasus Bridge in Bénouville (Calvados), the church bell tower and the square around the church in Sainte-Mère-Église (Manche). Synopsis: The film retraces the preparations then the Allied landing in Normandy on 6 June 1944 with different theatres of operations, from the Allied and German point of view, punctuated by many true anecdotes.
“Populaire” is a comedy with the french actor Romain Duris. The title of the film takes the name of the vintage typewriter: La Populaire used in the film. In the film you can see the towns of Lisieux (Calvados), Bacilly (Manche) and Vimoutiers (Orne). Synopsis : In the spring of 1958, Rose, 21 years old, lives with her father who runs the bazaar of a small Norman village. She has to marry the mechanic’s son, but Rose doesn’t want to live her life that way. She moves to Lisieux where she meets Louis Echard, 36, the boss of an insurance firm, who is looking for a secretary. The job interview isn’t going well. What catches his attention, however, is the pink talent for typing at high speed. He makes her an offer: he hires her if she takes part in typing speed contests .
“L’Autre Dumas” is a historical drama with Gérard Depardieu (Alexandre Dumas, the writer) and Benoît Poelvoorde (his ghost writer). You can see Auderville (Manche), Ecalgrain Bay (Manche), Cherbourg (Manche) and Saint-germain-des-Vaux (Manche). Synopsis: Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet, his literary nigger, are at the height of their collaboration but Maquet decides to pretend to be Dumas in order to seduce Charlotte, an admirer of the illustrious writer. Between the two men a confrontation is inevitable. At the same time, in Paris, the 1848 Revolution is rising…
“La Boite Noire” whose thriller scenes were filmed in Paris, Cherbourg (Manche) in the submarine the Redoutable that can be found at the Cité de la mer, Cap de la Hague (Manche) and Granville (Manche) for outdoor scenes in front of the hospital supposedly located in Cherbourg. Synopsis: Following a car accident, Arthur is plunged into a coma for a few hours. During his waking phase, in a verbal delirium, he expresses incoherent sentences that find their roots directly in his unconscious.
When he wakes up, he is faced with a curious enigma: What was he doing that night on this road, near Cherbourg?
His sentences were recorded in a black book by Isabelle, one of the hospital nurses. To help her answer his questions, Isabelle gives Arthur the written written note of his delirium…
“La famille Bélier“, a beautiful comedy filmed in Domfront en Poiraie (Orne) with a beautiful tribute to Michel Sardou. Synopsis : In the Bélier family, everyone is deaf except Paula, 16 years old. She is therefore the indispensable interpreter of the family, particularly regarding the family farm. Paula’s music teacher discovers her gift for cats and she decides to try her luck at a radio contest….
“Un Homme et une femme“, a masterpiece by Claude Lelouch in 1966 which received a Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and an Oscar for best foreign film! A film set in Deauville (Calvados). Synopsis: A script-girl, inconsolable since the death of her stuntman husband, meets in Deauville a racing driver whose wife has committed suicide out of desperation. They love each other, push each other away, find each other and love each other again…
“Les parapluies de Cherbourg” is a musical film written and directed by Jacques Demy, released in 1964 and it received a Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The film gives Catherine Deneuve her first big role, and will definitively launch her acting career. Synopsis: Madame Emery and her daughter Geneviève run an umbrella shop. The young woman is in love with Guy, a mechanic. But this one’s leaving to fight during the Algerian war. Pregnant and pushed by her mother, Geneviève marries Roland, a rich jeweller…
“Angèle & Tony“, a romantic drama set in Normandy (Caen, Lisieux, Pont-l’Évêque, Creully, Port-en-Bessin-Huppain, Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes, Colleville-sur-Mer). César for most promising actress, César for most promising actor and Michel d’Ornano Award at the Deauville American Film Festival. Synopsis : In the fishing port of Port-en_Bessin, Angèle wants to build herself a new one and Tony, a fisherman sailor in search of feelings.
Despite his desire for her, Tony keeps his distance. Angela is teasing him. Tony is patient. Too beautiful, too confusing, he can’t believe she’s there for him…
“La Disparue de Deauville“, a French thriller directed by Sophie Marceau, shot mainly in Le Havre, in the famous Coty shopping centre and also in the streets of Le Havre. Synopsis: Victoria, a famous actress died thirty years ago in troubling circumstances. She mysteriously reappears in the life of a lonely cop Jacques, investigating a disappearance, in the heart of a palace in Normandy…
“Le mari de la coiffeuse” a dramatic comedy by Patrice Lecomte where you can see Barneville-Carteret (Manche). Synopsis: At the dawn of adolescence, Antoine experiences his first love affair in the armchair of the hairdresser’s salon of the famous Mrs. Sheaffer. He promises himself to marry a hairdresser. As an adult, he meets Mathilde, the hairdresser of his dreams. Love at first sight is on both sides; they marry and live a simple and fusional, carnal and spiritual love on a daily basis.
“La petite voleuse” A dramatic comedy with Charlotte Gainsbourg where you can see many Norman sites: Creully (Calvados), Carentan (Manche), Biville (Manche), Barneville-Carteret (Manche), Bayeux (Calvados), the old cinema “Modern” in Bayeux (Calvados), the train station of Bayeux (Calvados). Originally, the character was supposed to be in Les 400 Coups (famous French Movie) The original script was for François Truffaut who died before he could shoot it. Synopsis: A little girl in the fifties. Janine, on her way out of school, steals a pack of cigarettes from a U.S. Army car and a piece of clothing from the store “Les Folies de Paris”. The director of this institution arrives at the home of his adoptive parents and discovers the loot. One day, Janine meets Raoul, a young roofer, stealing. The complicity, then love will bind these two young men in rebellion against the world around them.
If you want to know more about the films whose scenes were shot in Normandy, we recommend this site:
https://www.filmfrance.net/v2/fr/home.cfm?choixmenu=films2&show=1&aff6=1&idregion=43
