Chemin de Portrait

This is a guide for fans of Céline Sciamma's 2019 film Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu (portrait of a Lady on Fire) to the locations of filming so that they complete the pilgrimage, the Chemin de Portrait.

Downloads:

A PDF of the guide to Chemin de Portrait can be downloaded from here and a GPX of the Chemin de Portrait from here and KML file from here.

 

Filming for the movie was undertaken in 2018. Most exteriors were shot on the Quiberon Peninsula, Brittany in western France and most interior shots were mostly done at the Chateau La Chapelle-Gauthier, about 50km south-east of Paris. The theatre scene was filmed in Versailles, 20km west of Paris.

Filming locations of Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Quiberon Peninsula, Brittany

Most exterior filming took place on the Quiberon Peninsula in southern Brittany. Main sites were the Arc de Port Blanc, the Port Blanc beach (plage de Port Blanc) and south to Port Bara.The bright sunshine during filming here set the lighting requirements for the rest of the filming.

Quiberon Peninsula

West coast of the Quiberon Peninsula

Arc de Port Blanc—Marianne's arrival

[47°31'19.35"N, 3°9'13.22"W]

The Arc de Port Blanc is at the north end of the Plage de Port Blanc, on the west coast of the Quiberon peninsula in southern Brittany. It is the place where Marianne is delivered to 'the island' and the site of many walks.

Arc de Port Blanc

Marianne arrives

Beach Scenes

Beach scenes were filmed on the Quiberon peninsula at the Plage de Port Blanc and beaches south to Port Bara. 

Collecting Plants

The location for the filming of the collection of plants in the marram grass in the sand dunes has not yet been determined. Please let me know so I can update the site.

Grotto

I am yet to find the grotto where the first kiss happened. Please let me know if you have information on this location.

Heloise waiting for Marianne

Port Bara

[47°30'48.34"N, 3° 9'7.06"]
Port Bara is south of the Arch the Port Blanc and is where the return of Heloise's mother is announced.

Ecomusée de St Dégan

Abortion scene

[47°42'32.55"N, 2°59'37.64"W]
Rue Park Segal - 56400 BRECH
Tel: 02 97 57 66 00
Entry 6 euros for adults, 3 euro for children

 

"The Ecomuseum, in the heart of the village of St-Dégan, offers you a trip to the Auray country of yesteryear. A set of furnished rural houses: the 17th century thatched cottage where family and animals lived together, the 19th century longhouse with its outbuildings. You will discover the daily life of our elders, the activities of each generation, their close link with the landscape, nature, festivals and customs. You will be able to experience the great events of village life at the rhythm of the seasons.”
https://www.ecomusee-st-degan.fr

Heliose, Sophie & Marianne wait for the abortion

Noémie Merlant waits for filming at the Ecomusée

The filming vans & catering tent at the Ecomusée de St Dégan

Chateau La Chapelle-Gauthier

[48°33'2.78"N,  2°54'4.49"E]

 

Location of the Chateau (interiors) and the Ru d'Ancoeur (bonfire filming)

La Chapelle-Gauthier is about 50km south-east of Paris and is where the main interior sequences were filmed. Filming was primarily in an upstairs reception room and the kitchen, which is downstairs. Because of the bright sunshine in Brittany when the exterior shots were filmed, the interior shots needed strong lighting to match. Because of restrictions in where lighting rigs could be placed inside the Chateau, the team had to construct lighting towers in the moat surrounding the chateau so that daylight-simulating lights could be projected into the reception room. 

The Chateau La Chapelle-Gauthier

The Salon de Reception—Marianne's room

The Kitchen

Female solidarity: A scene in the kitchen from the film

Filming in the kitchen

The Stairwell

Preparations were made to the chateau before filming

The Countess' Salon

[48°33'2.78"N, 2°54'4.49"E]

Daytime lighting

Because of the bright sunshine when filming exterior scenes when in Brittany the lighting at the chateau needed to match this. Because the chateau is an historic monument the team were constrained in where the lighting rigs could be located. Because Marianne's studio was located on the first floor and the chateau is surrounded by a (dry) moat, this meant that the crew had to build lighting towers outside at each end of the reception room windows so that full sunshine, or morning light could be simulated.

One lighting tower had to be built in the moat to light the reception room

A smaller lighting rig was built at the other end of the reception room

Inside the reception room screens were used to control lighting

Lighting Evening Scenes

Lighting of evening scenes was done to simulate lighting from candles and the open fire. Rigs with strips of LED had to be created to give the right effect.

Strips of LED lights were used to simulate candle light

The lighting rig for evening scenes can be seen above the bed

Ru d'Ancoeur, La Chapelle-Gauthier

Bonfire scene

[48°33'6.23"N, 2°54'4.12"E]
The bonfire scene was filmed at the Ru d'Ancoeur, which is about 100m north of the Chateau de La Chapelle-Gaunthier.

Filming the bonfire scene

Claire Mathon, cinematographer, filming the bonfire scene

Ru d'Ancoeur, La Chapelle-Gauthier

Filming the bonfire scene

Art Gallery Scene

Art Gallery

The scene at the end of the film set in an art gallery was filmed at a film studio in Paris. I have not yet determined which studio, so any assistance would be most welcome.

Filming the art gallery scene in a Paris film studio

Director Céline Sciamma and cinematographer Claire Mathon

Theatre Scene: Théatre Montansier, Versailles

Adèle Haenel in the theatre scene

The Theatre scene at the end of the movie was filmed at the Théatre Montansier in Versailles, near Paris.

• Address: 13 Rue des Réservoirs, 78000 Versailles, France
• 48°48'28.99"N,  2° 7'27.24"E
• Théatre Montansier website: http://www.theatremontansier.com/
• GoogleMaps link: https://goo.gl/maps/FkPXng37DcwXnS7FA

• Click here for a 360 degree view of the theatre.

The Theatre Montansier is in Versailles, about 20km south west of central Paris.

Filming the final scene

The theatre box that Héloise sat next to

 

Interior of the Theatre Montansier in Versailles.