Shubhabrata Dutta
A Richard Linklater directorial, ‘Nouvelle Vague’ is a movie about filmmaking, specifically about the making of the French film ‘Breathless’ by Jean-Luc Godard. It tracks Godard’s (Guillaume Marbeck) journey from a film critic at Les Cahiers du Cinéma to becoming one of the faces of the Nouvelle Vague (New Wave) era of French cinema. Set in 1959 and shot in black and white, the movie reveals in a “picture-perfect” manner Godard’s feisty relationship with his producer, Georges de Beauregard, and his rapport with Jean Seberg (Zoey Deutch), the lead of ‘Breathless,’ which is in stark contrast to his smooth amicability with Jean-Paul Belmondo (Aubry Dullin). It also highlights his friendship with other New Wave filmmakers like Francois Truffaut, Jacques Rivette, and Jean-Pierre Melville. In keeping with the authenticity that is required for such a retelling, Linklater resorted to real visuals that serve as gateways to the cinematically stunning bygone era.
Nouvelle Vague Filming Locations
‘Nouvelle Vague’ was filmed entirely in France, specifically in Paris, Cannes, and Bouches-du-Rhône. Principal photography reportedly began in the first week of March 2024 and continued for almost two and a half months before wrapping in the third week of May the same year. Linklater utilized several locations showcased in the original film by Godard. “I always describe the movie as this seance where we got all of these people back together in ’59 and they were so happy to be together,” he was quoted as saying by Screen Daily. “We’re just dropping a camera down and trying to capture a moment in time,” he added.
Paris, France
Paris served as the primary base for the filming of ‘Nouvelle Vague.’ Per reports, the crew recorded a few scenes at the spot where the actual shooting for ‘Breathless’ took place. Several sequences were filmed all across the city. The Champs-Élysées Avenue, which runs from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe, was used as the filming location for many scenes. It is renowned for its luxury shopping and boasts historic landmarks, including the Grand Palais, Petit Palais, and Théâtre Marigny. Annual events, such as the Tour de France and the Bastille Day parade, are held on the avenue.
Boulevard Saint-Germain, a major street on the Rive Gauche of the Seine River, served as the backdrop for many scenes. “We would find a location we liked, then we would show up closer to shooting, and it was all scaffolding because they were trying to put a little spit-shine on it before the Olympics…and we had to build everything to recreate their world,” Linklater stated. Two famous movie theaters, namely Cinéma Le Louxor, located at 170 Boulevard Magenta, and Cinéma Mac-Mahon, situated at 5 Mac-Mahon Avenue, were utilized for both indoor and outdoor sequences. The requirement for a streamlined production was paramount since the 2024 Summer Olympics, which began in July, necessitated the city’s shutdown for film shoots. Thankfully, production wrapped in time.
Cannes, France
Cannes, the mecca of cinephiles, was also used as a shooting spot for the film. Several sequences were filmed at the Boulevard de la Croisette, which features the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, the home of the Cannes Film Festival. “I had to erase cinema history after the early ’60s and not think of crane shots, no Steadicam, no dolly camera…You had to shoot it the way they shot. It was fun to have a restrictive palette and keep it a bit simple the way they did,” Linklater told Variety while talking about the filming process.
Bouches-du-Rhône, France
The production team shot additional scenes in Bouches-du-Rhône, a department in southern France. Marseille, a city in the department, was utilized as the filming site. Positioned on the Mediterranean Sea coast, the city is renowned for its multicultural tolerance. The famous Opéra de Marseille is located in the city. Some popular tourist spots to visit in Marseille include The Old Port, Hôtel de Ville, Porte d’Aix, La Vieille Charité, and the Cathedral of Sainte-Marie-Majeure.
Read More: Where is Prime Video’s Malice Filmed?
