This week is in honor of Los Angeles and the Oscars: the city of dreams, and of those who make those dreams come true. The road to the Oscars went from local spots to Paris. From Rio to Dubai, and from Dubai to Namibia. Heck, it even traveled through Brooklyn, at least twice. These are the destinations where this year’s best movie contenders were filmed, and a few spots where the actors kicked back when they were off set.
The Picture: Emilia Pérez
Number of Oscar Nominations: Thirteen
How many films can you name that are musical, have the adrenaline rush of crime, aren’t English-speaking, and are nominated for an Oscar? We’ll wait—the point is, it’s uncommon. The premise: A Mexican cartel leader steps down from his precarious position with the help of an underappreciated lawyer. He learns a softer way of living, but that isn’t until he’s faked his death. Manitas transitions genders in pursuit of his long-awaited new life. The problem is that Emilia’s past finds a way of creeping up.
The film has received thirteen nominations for Best Picture, the second-most in Oscar history (shoutout La La Land circa 2016 with one more nomination). Considering the context of the movie, you’d assume the filming location to be Mexico, but almost all shots are Paris-based (except for a few in Mexico). Many were filmed in Studios de Bry with the help of visual effects and blue screens. Scenes from places like Switzerland, Bangkok, and London were artistic manipulations within the studio’s walls. The reason was that French Director Jacques Audiard wanted a consistent environment for shooting.
The Film: The Brutalist
Number of Oscar Nominations: Ten
If you love a period piece, this film probably made the top of your list for Oscar nominations. The Brutalist follows the journey of Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor László Tóth as he attempts to live out the infamous American Dream. The former architect tries to piece together some semblance of normalcy, and when the opportunity to design something monumental comes along, he seizes it.
The Brutalist has received ten Oscar nominations and won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Drama. The film depicts decades of history, emphasizing the shifting architectural elements. From the Teleki Square Synagogue in Budapest to Carrara, Italy, for shots of the town’s white marble, the film crew crossed countries for a believable period film with the air of postwar living. The film crew took many of the “Pennsylvania” shots in the Industrial area of Budapest.
The Picture: Wicked
Number of Oscar Nominations: Ten
While the Wicked storyline isn’t new, it is impactful in its own right. The themes of self-acceptance, courage, and prejudice are referenced throughout the original musical and not forgotten in the Oscar-nominated film. Before Dorothy, there were Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), students at Shiz University, who formed an unlikely friendship. Life isn’t easy for young Elphaba, as she navigates hateful and prejudiced behavior based on her skin color. To make matters worse, she’s discovered the Wizard’s secret and struggles with accepting a revealed injustice, or furthering her feelings of otherness by rejecting it.
Most of the filming took place in the United Kingdom for two reasons. One — a well-established film infrastructure with studios like Sky Studios Elstree and Warner Bros Studios Leavesden. Second — the country had the appropriate whimsy and open farmland balance for big-scale sets. Not all of the magical backdrops of the film are imaginative, like the field of tulips pictured in Belmont Nurseries, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. Another familiar scene is the ride the two young witches take to the University along the river, which is the Cuckmere River in East Sussex.
The Picture: A Complete Unknown
Number of Oscar Nominations: Eight
A Complete Unknown is a drama-filled biography that follows the incline of folk artist Bob Dylan’s stardom and the difficulties of maintaining a following, while staying true to his creative evolution. Many young viewers crushing on current heartthrob Timothy Chalamet playing Dylan in the film, coupled with older generations that resonate with Dylan’s music, equated to $104 million in box office revenue worldwide.
However, filming for A Complete Unknown stayed local, focusing on New Jersey and New York City areas for authenticity. Areas in New Jersey include Jersey City, Hoboken, and Newark. More specifically, the film features Little City Books in Hoboken. The Music Inn in New York City was a frequented spot for the folk scene of the ’60s and was also captured in the film. In Jersey City, Chalamet spent downtime at Snapdragon Coffee & Social and Miss America Diner.
The Picture: Conclave
Number of Oscar Nominations: Eight
When you have your own country all to yourself, how could a movie not be made about it? Vatican City is the smallest country in the world and has been home to the pope since the 14th century. While Conclave isn’t a depiction of a specific pope in history and the events are fictitious, the processes of modern-day procedures and political complexities of a papal election are authentic. When a pope dies, the secretive process of electing a new leader is lengthy. If you want a taste of the usually hushed formalities and moral dilemmas, you’ll like this film.
Much of the filming took place in Cinecittà Studios in Rome. Other notable places in Italy featured in the film included St. Peter’s Basilica, Palazzo dei Congressi, and Caserta Palace ( a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
The Picture: Anora
Number of Oscar Nominations: Six
For those of you who prefer the more light-hearted side of cinematography, Anora is the season’s romantic comedy. Anora is in her early twenties and has a job in sex work in modern-day Brooklyn. She meets a man named Ivan by chance, and they quickly fall in love. All looks good, right? Wrong. When Ivan’s father, a Russian oligarch, finds out about his son’s new romance, he will do everything he can to stop it.
Filming for Anora took place mainly in the Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Some of the spots in the film include Tatiana Grill and Parkview Diner. For the wedding scenes, the crew flew west to Las Vegas, using the Little White Wedding Chapel and 1200 South 4th Street.
FAQs
Q: Who does Selena Gomez play in the Emilia Pérez film?
A: Gomez plays Jessi, the wife of Manitas, before he transitions to Emilia.
Q: When was Anora’s premiere?
A: Anora premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2024, and was released on November 8, 2024.
Q: What hotel did the cast of Wicked stay in?
A: The cast of Wicked stayed at the New York Hilton Midtown during the film’s promotion before its release. The hotel offered a special “Stay Like Wicked” suite inspired by the characters.
