On the occasion of the broadcast of the documentary “Once upon a time Marseille” on France 3 at 9:10 p.m. this Wednesday April 6, a look back at some of the best fiction films that have been shot in France’s second city.
A little tour in the south. This Wednesday, April 6, France 3 is offering a documentary on the Marseille city from 9:10 p.m., entitled “Once upon a time in Marseilles“. According to the information revealed by the channel, the documentary will draw up a “self-portrait of the oldest city in France”. This is an opportunity to focus on one of the assets of the city of Marseille which, over the years, has become an increasingly important place in French and even international fiction. With its “stigmata of a fate that spared him no trial“, the city of Marseille has been the setting for films and series for many years, from the cult saga on Marius, Fanny and Caesar from Marcel Pagnol to Taxi through the famous More beautiful life. A little throwback to these fiction films shot in Marseille.
Series
Impossible not to talk about More beautiful life when it comes to Marseille and the series filmed there. The series created by Hubert Besson has been broadcast since August 30, 2004 on France 3 and, in February 2020, exceeded the 4,000 episode mark. Even if the Mistral district does not exist, the city of Marseille plays a full role in the series and is clearly part, for fans, of the long (very long) list of characters. Another flagship series of the French television landscape: Leo Mattei, whose title role is played by Jean-Luc Reichmann. Even if it is not only filmed in Marseille, the Marseille city and its surroundings have welcomed the film crew for many episodes over the seasons, in particular for season 9 which has just been broadcast on TF1.
Different series, same decor. The fiction Alex Hugo (played by Samuel Le Bihan) broadcast on France 2 then France 3 was partly shot in the Hautes-Alpes, but also in the Bouches-du-Rhône and in particular in the Calanques national park. Enough to offer magnificent natural landscapes, even for the darkest investigations… For the series Cainwho was played by Bruno Debrandt before being played by Julien Baumgartner, seasons 2, 3 and 8 were filmed in Marseille, with the filming of season 8, the broadcast of which ended in February 2020. Finally, the last series we focus on is obvious: Marseillesthe Netflix series with Gérard Depardieu, Benoît Magimel and Géraldine Pailhas.
Movies
Also on the big screen side, the city of Marseille has often been used for filming, whether for huge franchises known to all, such as Taxi, or even for other scenes from cult films that we didn’t know about the detour through the city of Marseille. The first saga that comes to mind, however, remains that of Taxi, whose five films were shot in Marseille. But it is not the only franchise that has put France’s second largest city in the spotlight, since the films The carrier also allowed Jason Statham to travel the streets of Marseille at full speed at the wheel of his cars. Same city but different atmosphere, the film a prophet by Jacques Audiard and winner at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009 was also filmed in Marseille, since that is where its plot takes place.
Fourth film, more recent this time. BAC North, which was also presented out of competition at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and was the source of a lot of controversy, also tells a story that takes place in Marseille. It is also a true story since the film directed by Cédric Jimenez was freely inspired by the scandal around the Marseille anti-crime brigade during which 18 members were prosecuted for drug trafficking and racketeering. Finally back to the classics to talk about Marseille in all its splendor and the iconic aura it has taken on over the years, in particular by being the scene of the adventures of Marius, Fanny and Cesar, the heroes of Marcel Pagnol. This trilogy which made Marcel Pagnol famous began with two plays adapted into films in 1931 and 1932, then a third film adapted for the theater in 1936. This is what enabled Marcel Pagnol to found, in 1934 and in Marseille, its own production company and its studios, making the city of Marseille a land of welcome for cinema for the century to come.
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