The French Riviera has a deep connection with cinema.
In addition to Cannes, famous for the historic Festival, there are other film-related places. There are places that have hosted the sets of some films and others that have had the honor of hosting celebrities.
For more than a century, the French Riviera has lived a history of intense love for cinema. Between film sets, iconic places and events, the French Riviera offers the chance to visit the places that have linked this land to cinema.
CANNES
Cannes is undoubtedly linked to the Cannes Film Festival, one of the most important film events in the world along with the Venice Film Festival. Established in 1946, the Cannes Film Festival is a two-week film festival held annually in May at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. Over time, the event has been able to evolve while retaining the essentials: the passion for cinema, the discovery of new talent, and the enthusiasm of enthusiasts and professionals from around the world who contribute to the birth and dissemination of films.
SAINT-TROPEZ
Among the cities that talk about cinema is definitely Saint-Tropez. In the 1950s, the fishing village became world famous thanks to the film “And God… created woman,” a film that consecrated Brigitte Bardot.
Among other films shot in Saint-Tropez ‘is the film series “The Gendarmes of Saint-Tropez.” This is series consisting of 6 comedy films, released in theaters from 1964 to 1982, starring Louis de Funès. And right here there is the Musée de la Gendarmerie et du Cinéma de Saint-Tropez. In this museum you can discover the history of the Saint-Tropez gendarmerie and the building, the history of the series “The Gendarmes of Saint-Tropez,” and the history of cinema in Saint-Tropez. The collection of the Musée de la Gendarmerie et du Cinéma de Saint-Tropez includes acquisitions or loans from private collectors or institutions such as the Archives de Vincennes, the Var Film Commission, the Cinémathèque française de Paris, the Société Nouvelle of Cinematography, and the Lumière Institute in Lyon. It also includes never-before-seen interviews with actors or people present at film shoots in Saint-Tropez.
GRAND CORNICHE
Along with the Croisette and the Promenade des Anglais, the Grande Corniche is one of the mythical streets of the French Riviera. It was there that in June 1954 Alfred Hitchcock shot one of the most famous scenes in the film“Thief Hunting.” starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. From the street’s breathtaking view, one can see the Principality of Monaco, of which Grace Kelly herself would become princess through her marriage to Prince Rainier in 1956. But this road would play a decisive role in the life of the former actress: it was on these curves that she lost her life in a car accident in 1982.
LA COLOMBE D’OR
One place that might be of interest is La Colombe d’Or Restaurant. No films have been made there, but it is famous for having welcomed celebrities, including artists and actors, for decades. When, in the spring of 1931, he opened his little inn under the ramparts of Saint-Paul de Vence, Paul Roux probably had no idea of the fabulous fate that awaited him.
Paul Roux was a generous person, regularly providing food and lodging for visiting artists. Soon, the master of the place became known throughout the bohemian world, if not as a patron, at least as a friend. Roux treated Matisse, Miró, Picasso, Léger and many others in this way, and all of them, in return, left him a work as a testimony to their friendship. This incredible collection is still displayed in the walls and terrace of the restaurant!
The painters and sculptors are also joined by movie stars, such as Orson Welles, Paul Newman, Tony Curtis, Sophia Loren, Romy Schneider, Lino Ventura, Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo, François Truffaut, Simone Signoret, Yves Montant, Roger Moore, Sean Connery, Brad Pitt, Quentin Tarantino, Marion Cotillard, and many others.