Iaphet Elli 
Gemma Bovery
Anne Fontaine’s Film: A Tribute to Flaubert and the Landscapes of Normandy
Hitting Italian theaters on January 29 and distributed by Officine UBU of Milan (www.officineubu.com), Anne Fontaine’s film Gemma Bovery made its Italian debut at the 32nd TTF/Torino Film Festival.
Based on the graphic novel by Posy Simmonds, inspired by Flaubert’s masterpiece Madame Bovary, and starring Fabrice Luchini and Gemma Arterton, Gemma Bovery reimagines the classic tale in a contemporary setting.
The story follows Martin, a Parisian intellectual who leaves the capital to become a baker in a small Normandy village. His youthful ambitions now manifest in a fervent imagination and a love for great literature, particularly Flaubert. This passion is rekindled when an English couple, Gemma and Charles Bovery, move into the village, their behaviors mirroring those of Madame Bovary’s protagonists. Determined to alter their fate, Martin intervenes, but Gemma Bovery, unfamiliar with classic literature, intends to live life on her own terms.
Anne Fontaine, the Luxembourg-born French director known for works like Coco avant Chanel with Audrey Tautou, pays homage to Flaubert while celebrating the picturesque landscapes of Normandy.
The film is set entirely in the Seine Maritime department, showcasing the lush Normandy countryside beloved by writers and Impressionist painters, and the Côte d’Albâtre, the Alabaster Coast, adorned with chalk cliffs.
The primary location is the village of Lyon-la-Forêt, one of “The Most Beautiful Villages in France.” Here, you’ll find Martin’s bakery, the protagonists’ country homes, and the 17th-century Halle, the village’s heart. This charming corner of Normandy features half-timbered and pink-brick houses, the Saint-Denis church (12th-16th centuries), and flower-lined streets, all nestled in the verdant Lyons Forest, one of Europe’s most beautiful beech forests, spanning 11,000 hectares.
Other film locations include Doudeville, the small Norman capital of linen with its 17th-century Gaudeville Castle and the 16th-century Notre Dame de l’Assomption church.
Veules-les-Roses, a quaint holiday spot on the Alabaster Coast, is characterized by its mills along the Veules—the smallest river in France—half-timbered houses, wooden bridges, and a pebble beach dominated by majestic white cliffs.
Another location is Auberville-la-Manuel, a village in the Pays de Caux, featuring a 15th-16th century castle and Ermenouville Castle, near Etretat. Naturally, Rouen, the regional capital, is also featured, with its magnificent Gothic cathedral, famously painted by Monet throughout the day to capture its changing light, and the historic streets that have remained unchanged since Flaubert’s time.
Enhancing the backdrop are the region’s culinary delights: this is the land of Camembert—the most famous French cheese—along with Pont l’Evêque, Livarot, Neufchâtel, and drinks like cider, Pommeau, and Calvados.
Normandy offers a feast for the senses, not just for the eyes!
www.normandie-tourisme.fr (also available in Italian)
