Where Was Portrait Of A Lady On Fire Filmed? An Extraordinary French Romantic Drama Film!

A genuine film enthusiast will watch American movies as well as foreign-language films. And if you’re a true film buff, I assume you’ve watched the French historical drama movie Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019). The historical romantic drama film is set in the 1700s and follows a young French woman who falls for a female painter commissioned to paint her portrait. In this article, I’ll discuss the movie and tell you where was Portrait Of A Lady On Fire filmed.

Many people have this idea that all French movies are art films. The thing about foreign films, or in particular French movies, is that they appear to be like art house films because of their aesthetic, cinematography, color tone, music, and various other things. American movies are directed differently because they cater to a larger audience who only care about entertainment. But movies like Portrait Of A Lady On Fire are meant for people who truly understand the language of cinema and its subtext.

The French romantic drama film features a number of gifted French actors like Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Luàna Bajrami, and Valeria Golino. Haenel plays one of the leads in the film. She is a critically acclaimed actor who has won two César Awards and a Lumières Award. Merlant is also a highly talented actor who rose to fame after her role as Clémence in the French crime comedy movie The Innocent.

However, I won’t keep you in suspense anymore and give you the answer to your question regarding where was Portrait Of A Lady On Fire filmed, The historical romantic drama flick was filmed in Morbihan, France.

Helmed by Céline Sciamma and produced by Bénédicte Couvreur, Portrait Of A Lady On Fire premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 19th May 2019, followed by its release in France on 18th September 2019. The romantic drama film was released in limited theaters in the United States on 6th December 2019. However, without any further ado, let’s find out more about the filming locations.

Where Was Portrait Of A Lady On Fire Filmed? Check Out The Filming Locations!

Céline Sciamma’s French historical romantic drama film received critical acclaim and was also voted as the 30th greatest movie of all time by the British film magazine Sight & Sound. It has also been declared as one of the best movies of the 2010s. 

On the other hand, The Guardian’s Mark Kermode gave the movie 5 out of 5 stars, calling it “an intellectually erotic study of power and passion in which observed becomes an observer.” The historical romantic drama film got an amazing score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and a high rating of 8.1 on IMDb. However, let’s move forward and learn more about where Portrait Of A Lady On Fire was filmed.

Morbihan, France

Principal photography of the historical romantic drama film commenced in October 2018 and was wrapped up within 38 days. Director Céline Sciamma was quite particular about the filming locations. It was her decision to shoot a major portion of the film in Morbihan. It is an administrative area of France’s westernmost region, Brittany.  

All the beach scenes in the movie were filmed in Saint-Pierre Quiberon, which is a commune in the Morbihan region. The majority of the interior and exterior chateau scenes were shot in Château de La Chapelle-Gauthier, Rue du Château, and La Chapelle-Gauthier. These are some of the most popular communes situated in Seine-et-Marne, Northern France.

Morbihan has a population of 759,684 with a total land area of 6,823 km2. The administrative region is also a famous tourist spot mainly for the Carnac Stones. Morbihan is also known for its beautiful coastline. Movies like At Dawn,  La France et son peuple, Orin Brezhon, West Coast, and Nice and Easy were filmed in Morbihan, France.

Plot Of Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019) | A Story Of Love!

The story of Portrait Of A Lady On Fire is set in 1770 and revolves around Marianne, played by Noémie Merlant. Marianne is a professional painter and a teacher at an art school. She had recently moved to the island of Brittany. One of her students, Héloïse, played by Adèle Haenel, asks Marianne to paint her portrait.

At first, Marianne hesitates a bit, but later on, she agrees. Héloïse belongs to a wealthy French family. She is a young, confident, attractive woman who is about to marry an Italian nobleman. But Marianne notices that she is not as excited as a soon-to-be bride should be. Marianne and Héloïse begin to spend more time together. They develop feelings for each other and eventually fall in love, knowing that they will be in a difficult and complicated situation.

Final Words

France is a country that is known for art, museums, and its diverse culture. I believe everyone should visit France at least once in their lifetime. And moreover, you have all the more reason to visit the place as you can check out the filming spots of Portrait Of A Lady On Fire. Having said that, if you liked going through the article, then do let me know. And also, to read more fascinating articles, keep an eye on the Viebly website.