Sartaj Singh
‘Anthracite’ is a French-language Netflix thriller series that delves into the ritualistic murders taking place around a small village in the Alps. Thirty years ago, a mass suicide took place in the village, and now a murder victim is found with anthracite smeared on her face. Policewoman Ida suspects cult links to the recent crime, but no one in her department will believe her. Eccentric outsider Giovanna arrives in the town looking for her missing father. In the meantime, Jaro Gatsi, a soul-searching offender, is blamed for the murder.
The three unwittingly come together to unearth the sinister realities hidden in the mountains and are led on a twisting, suspenseful ride that connects back to their pasts. Co-created by Fanny Robert, Maxime Berthemy, and Mehdi Ouahab, the series is also known as ‘Le mystère de la secte des Ecrins.’ The mystery thriller unfolds in several unique settings that enhance the visual experience of the intriguing narrative.
Anthracite Filming Locations
Shooting of ‘Anthracite’ takes place across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France. Principal photography began in February 2023 and was wrapped up for the first season in four months by May 2023. The cast and crew faced challenging weather conditions while shooting in the snowy region. Yet, they took to social media to share their positive experiences and pictures of their all-natural sets.
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
The production team traverses the terrain of the Alps mountain range and the Rhône River valley to capture the backdrops seen in the show. The city of Grenoble is a starting point for the Alpine countryside, where some of the interior scenes for the episodes are shot. The capital of the Isère department, Grenoble, is situated at the foothills of mountains between the Isère and Drac rivers. Part of the city’s urban unit, the commune of Saint-Martin-d’Hères, is also featured in some shots of the show.
A commune is the French equivalent of a town, and the communes of La Mure, Vinay, Pont-en-Royans, Saint-Honoré, Chamrousse, and Mens are used to create the village and mountainous settings seen in ‘Anthracite.’ With the exception of Vinay, all these communes are further southeast of Grenoble, higher up the Alps. These areas are frequented by outdoor enthusiasts looking for the adventures of hiking and skiing, along with the delight of local cuisine. For the ‘Anthracite’ team, the locales offered the perfect backdrops to capture the enigmatic essence of the remote Alpine town seen in the show.
Some of the specific sites seen in the series include the Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette, the Thaïs cave in Saint-Nazaire-en-Royans, and The Mémorial de la Résistance located at 3425 Rte du Col de la Chau. The Cave Thaïs, or Grotte de Thaïs, is a limestone cave that stands in for the cult’s cave hideout seen in the show. The caves were created due to underground water erosion and are known for their expansive chambers, stalactites, stalagmites, and various other calcite deposits. The Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette is a 19th-century sanctuary with a basilica set on a mountain ledge at Sanctuaire, 38970 La Salette-Fallavaux.
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