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Monday, August 27, 2018

Louis Malle: The Loire Valley Chateaux Film Location Game - 10 Suggested Sites and Catering Ideas by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget






Louis Malle: The Loire Valley Châteaux Film Location Game – 10 Suggested Sites by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget
  

Introduction


Louis Malle was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer, who won the Palme d’Or at Cannes for Le Monde du Silence and the Venice Golden Lion several times.  Malle’s autobiographical film Au Revoir Les Enfants is set in a Loire Valley boarding school during World War II.

All of the Loire Valley châteaux housed inhabitants at one time or another who were kings, relatives of royalty, finance ministers, or their wives and mistresses.  This historical cast of characters makes for an infinite number of intrigue-filled screenplays.


10 Suggested Châteaux for Film Locations

All of these châteaux have websites that list the principal inhabitants of the châteaux, main features, and contact information.

-Azay-le-Rideau

-Villandry

-Clos Lucé

-Langeais

-Usse

-Blois

-Chambord

-Saumur

-Angers

-Chinon


Catering Options and Local Film Licensing Laws

If you decide to look into shooting a film at a particular château, you might want to consider catering a good yet inexpensive buffet at the château instead of doing an expensive restaurant meal in town.

You should also ask to speak to a local film bureau about production and distribution regulations and laws at the local and national level.

I have listed several buffet rallye parties on this Savvy Mom Ruth Paget blog that are inexpensive yet nutritious.  Some of the ones that local businesses in the Loire Valley could provide include:

-Parisian Global Economy Rallye – featuring French, Moroccan, Japanese, and Vietnamese food with French, Italian, African, and American Music.

-Parisian Sandwich Rallye – Paul Vieneroisserie could provide these with advance warning

-Thai Buffet – the French, who can afford it, go to Thailand on vacation now, eat Thai food in restaurants, and have learned to cook it at home

-Vietnamese Buffet – the Vietnamese can do lovely cold buffets and are a minority group in France

-Neapolitan Pizza Party – Eataly in Bologna (Italy) could even cater this type of event, if they do not open a store locally. 

-Milanese Risotto Party – Peck of Milan (Italy) could cater this type of event, if they do not open a store locally. 

The first Renaissance in the Loire Valley came about as a result of the “Italian Wars” in Milan and other areas of Lombardy in Northern Italy.

-Moroccan Buffet – sliced roast lamb, mechoui, and a variety of cold salads would be a lovely buffet option that can be catered locally in France.  It is both halal and kosher.  (Paul Viennoiserie can also make kosher salmon sandwiches, if necessary.)

Film Location Wrap-Up Party

Learning to waltz from a certified instructor.  Every Catholic wedding party has waltzing.  It might work better than social media for finding a husband or wife.  

Learning Loire Valley wine drinking songs in French.that date from the age of Rabelais.


French etiquette and/or designer wardrobe building tips could be a good ½ talk with a question-and-answer session following it.

Glasses of Vouvray or Montlouis, sweet white wine, served with cream puffs covered in chocolate in carmelized sugar cages could be a nice dessert finish to the film location visit.

If you choose to film at the châteaux you are visiting, you might want to serve a champagne such as Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, or Moët and Chandon.

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books




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