Film Lovers Holidays in France

If you’d like to trip back to where it all began then visit the Institut Lumiere in the heart of the Monplaisir area of Lyon. The institut has preserved the very place where the Lumiere brothers invented the cinematograph and where they shot the very first film in the history of cinema, ‘Sortie d’Usine’.  The Lumiere Institut is described as being a museum a cinema library, a documentation centre, a place of preservation and a home to memories.  The institut still houses the first film set ever made, The Film Warehouse. The warehouse was classified as a historical monument in 1995 and is now home to the Lumiere institute Cinema Theatre.

If you’re not quite so technical and would prefer a trip down a more recent memory lane then why not visit some of the beautiful French places that are depicted in great films. Other than the more obvious places like Moulin Rouge and the Eiffel Tower there are many beautiful places that are immortalised in film but often forgotten about in real life. The 1986 classic ‘Jean de Florette’ is famous for its wonderful shots of the Provence region of France. The film used many picturesque locations including the village of Mirabeau, and Sommieres in the Gard. If you travel around two hours to the north of Provence to the Luberon you will be able to see the exterior of the church and the cemetery where much of the film was set and which still looks much as it did in the film.

There are also places to visit if you wish to explore other aspects of cinema. In the historic part of Tours is Cinemas Studio, a boho picture house which shows all genres of film from around the world from Korean cinema to auteur classics. The cinema is frequented by intellectual and academics as well as students and parents taking the kids to child friendly sessions. The cinema is largely run by volunteers and the ethos is to make cinema accessible thus keeping the costs as minimal as possible. There is also a cafeteria and local traditional bakeries close by, meaning you could be watching your favourite classic film with a freshly baked éclair in hand.

There is such a wealth of beautiful French films to inspire your visit to France so why not put together your own tour inspired by your favourite movies, and imagine yourself starring in your very own classic French film!