Film locations to visit From the exotic city of Fez to the constantly vibrant Venice Beach, historical Bath or the ever-fascinating Venice; we invite you to travel around the most spectacular locations where the most outstanding films have been shot in recent months. By Neus Duran Lifestyle The perfect crime in the French Alps —— The Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Golden globe for the best screenplay are part of the cascade of prizes awarded to the truly revelation film of 2023, ‘Anatomy of a Fall’. A large part of this legal drama was filmed in Savoy, in the French Alps. In addition to some of the best ski resorts in the world, the mountainous region also has many tourist attractions to enjoy all year long, from the spectacular crystal clear lakes to charming villages, majestic castles and remote valleys. Lovers of open-air sports will particularly enjoy the area as they will be able to choose between plans in the water or the air, along with endless hiking routes. Venice Beach, Barbie’s fun, bustling beach —— Las year all the booking office records were shattered into a thousand pieces with one of the most anticipated films in recent times, ‘Barbie’. The famous doll, who was brought to life by Margot Robbie, strolls through the film in a world of pastel shades and bubblegum pink. Amongst the locations from the successful film, Venice Beach stands out, the bustling Los Angeles beach, a real spectacle in the open air where the skateboarders, bodybuilders, surfers, skaters and acrobats are all a delight to the five senses. The exotic charm of the alleyways of Fez —— Following in the footsteps of James Bond and Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible, Indiana Jones also travels halfway around the world in each film from the saga to show impacting settings. In his latest adventure, premiered a few months ago, the famous archaeologist lands in Fez, amongst other destinations. The Moroccan city is a favourite for a short getaway, as it brings together its exoticism and the convenience of it being relatively close. Its labyrinthine alleyways and the colourful street markets of its Medina are full of magic. Following Poirot’s footsteps in mysterious Venice —— One of the most visually beautiful films to be premiered last year is ‘A Haunting in Venice’, a new adventure with Hercule Poirot that Kenneth Brannagh has brought back to life for the cinema screen. And, although the photography is really spectacular, it is partly due to the setting, the always impacting ‘Serenissima’, with its refined palaces, its mysterious alleyways and canals shrouded in mist and, of course, its ever-present gondolas. Many of the scenes that appear in the film, such as Poirot’s terrace in the Palazzo Pisani, may be visited. ‘Impossible’ summits and fiords for Ethan Hunt —— Impossible acrobatics and spectacular locations are the trademarks of all the films in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ saga. In the latest film from the series, ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1’, Tom Cruise (aka Ethan Hunt) dives into the Norwegian wilderness, leaping from his Honda motorbike from the Helsetkopen mountaintop and boarding the Rauma train, which winds its way in between fiords and mountain tops. It is possible to travel along this railway route, one of the most beautiful ones in Europe, or to sign up to one of the tours that follow the agent’s footsteps. Tropea, the Calabrian paradise from ‘The Marvels’ —— The resounding box office success of ‘Captain Marvel’ five years ago, made the arrival of a sequel inevitable. To film The Marvels amongst other locations, Tropea, in southern Italy was chosen. Known as “the pearl of Calabria”, it is famous for its historic centre, perched on a cliff; its white, sandy beaches and its transparent waters… and its red onions, a highly appreciated local product that is very present in the local gastronomy. A stroll around its surrounding area, through groves of citrus fruit, olives and vines and signing up for a day trip by boat to the nearby Aeolian islands are definite musts. Sierra Nevada, a white set for Bayona —— When flight 571, transporting a rugby team from Montevideo crashed in the Andes in 1972, one of the most famous survival stories in the world began. J.A. Bayona recreates it in Society of ‘La sociedad de la nieve’, which is representing Spain at the Oscars. It was not filmed in the Andes, but in the Spanish mountain range, Sierra Nevada, which, with its 15 summits with altitudes of over 3,000 metres is a true natural paradise. To enjoy it in depth, you can drive a snow plough, or be driven in a dog sleigh or even sign up for astro-tourism. Historical England with Wonka charm —— The picturesque, historical settings of Bath and Lyme Regis, which are amongst the most charming places in England, are two of the settings where ‘Wonka’ takes place, a super production that tells of the adventures of young Willy Wonka, before building the opulent chocolate factory with which so many generations of young readers and film-goers have fallen in love. From the fishermen’s cottages next to the sea and the pebble beaches of Lyme Regis, on the coast of Devon, to the monumental Bath, with its famous abbey and the only hot baths and spa in Great Britain, in both places there are many attractions that justify a short getaway. The Parade Gardens and Bath Street with its instagrammable Georgian houses are another two locations that appear in the film and that can be discovered by taking a thematic tour. The wild Corsica that saw the birth of Napoleon —— Whithout any doubt, Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon’ was one of the most anticipated premieres of last year. The box office failure, which did not convince either the critics or the spectators, travelled through places taken from the life of the famous soldier and politician, amongst them, the island that was his place of birth in 1769, Corsica. In the town of his birth, Ajaccio, the figure of Napoleon is omnipresent: from the airport to the streets, sculptures and businesses are named after the town’s most famous son and it is also possible to visit the house where he spent his childhood. Beyond Ajaccio, Corsica has many attractions that turn it into one of the most appealing destinations in the Mediterranean, both due to its coastline with its many almost deserted beaches, and its inland pine forests and little villages perched on the rocky mountainsides. Amongst the essential visits is the town of Bonifacio, which is erected on a white stone cliff.