Naman Shrestha
Created by Hervé Hadmar, Netflix’s ‘Notre-Dame’ (also titled ‘Notre-Dame, la part du feu’) is a French drama series inspired by the book ‘La Nuit de Notre-Dame: By those who saved it’ by Romain Gubert in collaboration with the Paris Fire Brigade. The narrative dramatizes the true and tragic event that occurred on April 15, 2019, in Notre Dome Cathedral. The show gives us a glimpse into the tragic day by telling the story from the point of view of different people affected by the incident and the French firefighters who did their best to minimize its effects.
Featuring stellar performances from a group of talented actors and actresses, including Roschdy Zem, Caroline Proust, Megan Northam, Simon Abkarian, and Alice Isaaz, the viewers are kept invested in the series through each episode. Since the show is about Notre Dame itself, it is natural for you to wonder if it is shot on location. Well, we have got all the details about the actual filming sites to appease your curiosity!
Notre-Dame Filming Locations
‘Notre-Dame’ is filmed entirely in France, specifically in Paris. The principal photography for the inaugural iteration of the drama series seemingly commenced in August 2021 and reportedly wrapped up after 79 days of filming, around October of the same year. Since the story is set in France, the filming unit decides to shoot the series on location and give the viewers an immersive and authentic viewing experience. Now, without further ado, let’s traverse the specific sites that feature in the Netflix show!
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Paris, France
Most of the pivotal sequences for ‘Notre-Dame’ are lensed across Paris, the capital and most populous city of France. From the looks of it, the production team seemingly sets up camp in different parts of the city, especially around Notre Dame de Paris at 6 Parvis Notre-Dame – Pl. Jean-Paul II, to tape different interior and exterior scenes for the show. Some iconic riverbanks along the Rive Seine can also be seen in several sequences throughout the series.
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Besides that, the cast and crew members supposedly utilize the facilities of Studios Bry for shooting many interior scenes, including the interiors of Notre Dame. The film studio is located at 2 Av. de l’Europe in Bry-sur-Marne, a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris. Studios Bry is home to seven stages spread across an area of 20,000-meter square, making it one of the largest studios in all of France.
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Situated in north-central France, Paris is considered one of the world’s major centers of commerce, diplomacy, fashion, finance, gastronomy, and science. Apart from millions of tourists visiting Paris each year, the city is also frequented by many filmmakers for shooting purposes. In fact, over the years, the City of Love has hosted the production of different kinds of movies and TV shows. Some of the notable ones are ‘Inglourious Basterds,’ ‘The Dreamers,’ ‘Red Notice,’ ‘Emily in Paris,’ and ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan.’
Bourges, France
Many key scenes for ‘Notre-Dame’ are taped in Bourges, a commune located in central France and the capital of the department of Cher. Bourges Cathedral at Pl. Etienne Dolet in the city of Bourges serves as a prominent production location for the show. Since the city is not overcrowded with people, the filming unit can take advantage of it and recreate the scenes for the series without getting interrupted, making it a suitable filming site.
Interestingly enough, Netflix has partnered with SANDEMANs New Europe to come up with a tour of Paris that includes some emblematic locations around the city featured in ‘Notre-Dame’ and other filming projects like ‘Emily in Paris’ and ‘Lupin.’ You can book this tour and experience the City of Light through the eyes of your favorite characters.
Read More: Best French Shows on Netflix
