Chinese film and television producers flock to France for the classical settings – and the tax breaks
- Vicky Zhao Wei shooting a gastronomic reality-TV show in Colmar, Chen Bolin making a romantic comedy in Bordeaux - Chinese stars are everywhere
- In Burgundy, scenes for a series about the history of communism are being shot in a town where Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, among others, studied
Wherever you go in France these days there is a good chance you will come across a Chinese film or television crew. At least, that is what French media reports would have you believe.
“Filming of a romantic Chinese [TV] series in the Pyrénées”, “Bordeaux: A Chinese TV series targeting 80 million viewers in filming”, and “Filming of a Chinese reality show in Colmar” are just a few recent headlines.
Chinese viewers can’t see enough of the country, it seems. And when it comes to “location, location, location”, France delivers.
News agency Agence France-Presse summed up the trend, reporting that France is a “mine of romantic landscapes and cultural references of which Chinese cinema is very fond”.
Beyond the country’s stately museums, vineyards and historic sites, another attraction is the tax incentives introduced in 2009 to lure Chinese television and film companies.
