Alexander Zaitchik
Jetting to the year's most spectacular movie settings
Tourism officials in Belgium are expecting a big year in 2008. Not because of an international sports event in Brussels or a museum opening in Antwerp. No—the Belgian ministry of tourism is giddy because this March, the film In Bruges will open in wide release. The action-comedy starring Colin Farrell is set in the quaint northwestern Belgian city of the same name. Never mind that Farrell spends much of the film belittling Bruges, a sleepy canal city northwest of Brussels. By highlighting the city's medieval churches and cobblestone streets, the film represents the kind of golden publicity that money simply cannot buy.
"The beauty and serenity of the city of Bruges will shine throughout the movie, which I like to think of as an Ambassador for Bruges," says Liliane Opsomer, deputy director of the Tourist Office for Flanders, Belgium, which has prepared 3,000 special tourist maps with shooting locations in Bruges. "We are very excited about the movie."...
Jetting to the year's most spectacular movie settings
Tourism officials in Belgium are expecting a big year in 2008. Not because of an international sports event in Brussels or a museum opening in Antwerp. No—the Belgian ministry of tourism is giddy because this March, the film In Bruges will open in wide release. The action-comedy starring Colin Farrell is set in the quaint northwestern Belgian city of the same name. Never mind that Farrell spends much of the film belittling Bruges, a sleepy canal city northwest of Brussels. By highlighting the city's medieval churches and cobblestone streets, the film represents the kind of golden publicity that money simply cannot buy.
"The beauty and serenity of the city of Bruges will shine throughout the movie, which I like to think of as an Ambassador for Bruges," says Liliane Opsomer, deputy director of the Tourist Office for Flanders, Belgium, which has prepared 3,000 special tourist maps with shooting locations in Bruges. "We are very excited about the movie."...
Alexander Zaitchik Jetting to the year's most spectacular movie settings Tourism officials in Belgium are expecting a big year in 2008. Not because of ... more
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1
Dunkerque, France
Atonement
The four-minute-long tracking shot on the Dunkerque beach in Joe Wright's Atonement was one of the most celebrated scenes of 2007. Those inspired by the film to visit this quaint seaside town in northern France will find enough fine hotels and restaurants to accommodate them, as well as agencies offering historical tours focusing on the British evacuation as depicted in the film. You can also relive the British Army's great naval escape by taking a ferry across the Channel to and from the port at Dover, England.
2
The Stampede Trail, Alaska
Into the Wild
The tagline for Sean Penn's adaptation of Jon Krakauer's book about Chris McCandless could have been taken right out of an Alaskan Tourism brochure: "Your great adventure in Alaska." The film highlights the rigorous Stampede Trail, blazed by an adventurous miner in the 1930s. According to the travel website Jaunted.com, the Fairbanks tourism bureau is wondering how to protect trekkers inspired by the film. "The Stampede Trail [is] poorly defined, bug infested and out of cell phone range." It also crosses the Teklanika River. Those considering retracing the McCandless' footsteps are reminded that the movie does not have a happy ending.
3
Rajasthan, India
The Darjeeling Limited
Wes Anderson's film about three estranged American brothers traveling by train is set mostly in India's northwest desert state of Rajasthan. The most colorful part of a colorful country, Rajasthan has long been a subcontinental favorite among foreign travelers; hundreds of travel offices in New Delhi arrange tailored trips from the capital. Rajasthan's magical "Blue City" of Jodhpur is highlighted in the film; it's host to dozens of stunning palaces, forts and temples.
4
Harlem, New York City
American Gangster
The visceral, shoot-em-up Harlem of American Gangster is long gone, but there are numerous historical tours offering to take visitors through the neighborhood's storied past. Among the most established is Harlem Heritage Tours (harlemheritage.com). Tours include trips to famous jazz clubs, gospel performances and all-you-can-eat soul food establishments. History junkies may want to visit during August's "Harlem Week," a festival showcasing the best of Harlem's heritage—past, present and future.
5
Belgravia, London
Eastern Promises
David Cronenberg's gritty tale of a Russian émigré hit man may have been fiction, but it wasn't entirely imagined. A lot of moneyed Russians have set up residence in the posh neighborhood of Belgravia; however, walking the streets will likely provide just small, curtained windows into that insular world. For a more traditional London film tour, numerous agencies offer tailored packages that take you to the sidewalks and sets that have hosted everyone from Alfred Hitchcock to Hugh Grant. Offtolondon.com reports that its most popular tour at the moment is "See Harry Potter's England."
6
Shanghai, China
Lust, Caution
Ang Lee's exotic thriller takes place during Japan's World War II occupation of China. Set largely in Shanghai's coastal Nanhui District, the film evokes a time that is long past, but CityDiscovery organizes visits to the Chedun Film Studio (Kung Fu Hustle, The Painted Veil), one the few modern movie studios in Asia, which features authentic sets recreating 1900s-era Shanghai. Of course, modern Shanghai is a compelling travel destination. Consider planning your trip during the Peach Blossom cultural festival held each spring, which draws more than 100,000 Chinese and international visitors.
7
Lourdes, France
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Julian Schnabel's Oscar-nominated tale of a successful magazine editor paralyzed by a rare condition is set partially in Lourdes, a town of only 15,000 in southern France. But thanks to its religious significance, it welcomes five million pilgrims and tourists every year. Lourdes already has the second greatest number of hotels in France after Paris (270), but it may need another after this film piques secular interest in the region. This isn't the first time Lourdes is featured in an acclaimed film—in 1943, Henry King's The Song of Bernadette was set entirely in Lourdes and won four Oscars.
8
Castles of Great Britain
The Other Boleyn Girl
Justin Chadwick's tale of royal intrigue stars Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson as sisters competing for the attentions of Henry VIII. The film is richly set in some of the most remarkable estates in Britain, including the 900-year-old Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, the moat-encircled Charfield Manor in Bath and the sprawling Dover Castle, which dates back to Roman times. The stately Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire also makes an appearance; Harry Potter fans may recognize it from two of the films. All castles have visiting hours and tours are easily arranged from any number of local or London agencies.
9
Bruges, Belgium
In Bruges
In Martin McDonagh's film, star Colin Farrell is hit man forced to spend more time than he would like in the historical Flemish city of Bruges. Known as the "Venice of the North" for its canals and rich cultural heritage, visitors have for centuries flocked to Burges for its immaculately maintained medieval buildings and numerous world-class museums. It's also home to famous French and Belgian restaurants such as De Karmeliet, whose Geert Van Hecke is the first Flemish chef to be awarded three Michelin stars.
10
Paris
La Vie en Rose
This Oscar-nominated biopic of French singer and icon Edith Piaf is set mainly in France (though some memorable scenes were shot in and around Palm Springs, California). Fans of Piaf intrigued enough by her life to retrace her footsteps should begin at her birthplace on rue de Belleville, in the Menilmontant area of Paris. The tour should also include the famed Paris Olympia concert hall and her grave at the Père Lachaise Cemetery. For everything in between, there's a museum dedicated to the late songstress on rue Crespin du Gast.
[source: https://www.forbestraveler.com/celebrity/film-locations-story.html ]
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