The following seven films take us through the French Alps in very different ways, from the real-life stories behind The Intouchables and Malabar Princess to the heartfelt story of The Finishers. Along the way, they move between family dramas, comedies, mysteries and stories of personal change, with locations ranging from the glaciers of Chamonix and the Tramway du Mont-Blanc to the slopes of Megève, La Clusaz, and Les Gets. Some films use the mountains as a backdrop, while others make the landscape part of the story itself.
French Alps
THE MOUNTAINS ON SCREEN: FILMS SHOT IN THE FRENCH ALPS
From quiet villages to crowded ski slopes, the French Alps have provided the setting for films shaped by family, rivalry, loss and escape.
The mountain landscapes behind stories on screen
Meet the Elisabethz (2009)
A warm French comedy about a father determined to give his daughter her first skiing holiday, the film follows Jean-Gabriel as he tries to keep a promise to his family despite his modest circumstances, little preparation, and no real mountain experience. It won both the Grand Prix du Jury and the Prix du Public at the Alpe d'Huez International Comedy Film Festival in 2009.
The family's first experience of the slopes was filmed in Les Gets, where the village, ski runs and surrounding scenery frame their often chaotic introduction to winter sports. From finding second-hand equipment to trying to keep up with more experienced visitors, the resort becomes part of the family's holiday adventure. The production also filmed around the Paris region for the family's home life, creating a clear contrast between their everyday surroundings and the unfamiliar setting of Les Gets.
The ski slopes of Les Gets, where Jean-Gabriel and his family take their first winter holiday
The Finishers (2013)
A heartwarming film about family, distance and determination, The Finishers follows Julien, a teenager with cerebral palsy who wants to reconnect with his father, Paul, a former athlete who has withdrawn from family life. Hoping to find something they can share, Julien challenges him to compete together in the Ironman France triathlon in Nice. The film was shot across the French Alps, including La Clusaz, Manigod, Le Grand-Bornand, Thônes and Arêches-Beaufort, where the mountain setting reflects Julien's desire for independence and adventure.
La Clusaz is one of the film's main Alpine locations, appearing in the scenes that establish Julien's home and his connection to the mountains. The story later moves to Nice for the triathlon, taking Julien from the landscapes he knows to the demanding challenge he has imagined sharing with his father.
A quiet mountain view in La Clusaz
Malabar Princess (2004)
Inspired by the 1950 crash of Air India Flight 245 on Mont Blanc, Malabar Princess centres on eight-year-old Tom, who moves to the Alps to live with his grandfather Gaspard after his mother disappears during a mountain excursion. Gaspard's chalet is set in La Charme, near Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, and his work on the Tramway du Mont-Blanc brings the railway into the story. When Tom explores the mountains with his friend Benoît, he discovers pieces of the crashed aircraft and begins to believe that his mother may still be alive.
The film was shot across Haute-Savoie, including Vallorcine, where the village and school scenes were filmed, as well as Les Houches, Argentière and Chamonix. Some of the film's most striking sequences were captured above Chamonix, on the Mer de Glace and across the Mont Blanc massif. The ice cave and crevasse representing the crash site were created directly in the Mer de Glace, with aircraft wreckage incorporated into the glacier scenes. Here, Mont Blanc is part of the mystery itself, carrying both the memory of the crash and Tom's search for answers.
Mont Blanc, the mountain at the heart of Malabar Princess
SNOW THERAPY (2014)
Winner of the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, Snow Therapy places a Swedish family at a French Alpine resort for a skiing holiday. During lunch on a mountain restaurant terrace, an approaching avalanche sends the diners into a panic. Tomas, the father, runs for safety while Ebba, the children's mother, stays with them. Although the avalanche stops before reaching the restaurant, Tomas's instinctive reaction leaves Ebba questioning whether she can rely on him when his family needs him most.
The film was shot across Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry, and La Plagne, with the resorts providing hotels, restaurants, ski runs, and wide mountain views. Les Arcs features particularly strongly, including the opening shots and the terrace where the avalanche unfolds. The beautiful Alpine setting contrasts with the strain that develops within the family after the avalanche.
A family ski holiday in La Plagne
CHARADE (1963)
Regina Lampert and Peter Joshua meet in the French Alps at the beginning of this romantic mystery, before the story moves from the ski slopes of Megève to the streets of Paris. When Regina returns home, she discovers that her husband has been murdered and that several men are searching for the fortune he supposedly stole. Peter offers to help her uncover the truth, although his own identity remains uncertain.
The winter scenes were filmed in Megève, using the resort's snow-covered slopes and village streets. The Alpine setting gives Regina and Peter's meeting a relaxed atmosphere, which soon gives way to suspicion and danger as the mystery develops. The production then moved to Paris, where the film's main pursuit unfolds.
The snowy slopes and surrounding peaks of Megève, featured in the opening scenes of Charade
THE INTOUCHABLES (2011)
An internationally recognised French comedy-drama, The Intouchables follows Philippe, a wealthy man living with quadriplegia, and Driss, the young man he hires as his carer. Their friendship grows as Driss treats Philippe with humour and directness, encouraging him to take part in everyday life rather than letting his disability define every interaction. He takes Philippe out, challenges him and helps him reconnect with experiences he had begun to leave behind. The film was later remade in the United States as The Upside (2017).
The film's paragliding sequence was filmed around Mont Bisanne, near Les Saisies in the Savoie region. Against the beautiful mountain backdrop of the Beaufortain massif, Philippe and Driss share an experience that reflects the way their friendship changes them both. Driss encourages Philippe to embrace life again, while Philippe pushes Driss towards experiences he might otherwise have avoided. The scene captures their growing trust, with the mountains providing the setting for one of their most memorable moments together.
The French Alps from above, as seen in The Intouchables
THE MOUNTAIN (2022)
Pierre travels from Paris to the Alps for work and gradually becomes drawn to the mountains, leaving behind his corporate life to spend more time in the Chamonix valley. As he begins camping near the Mont Blanc massif, he meets Léa, whose presence deepens his connection to the landscape and encourages him to question the life he has been living.
The film was shot in Chamonix and across the Mont Blanc massif, with the Aiguille du Midi appearing in several high-altitude sequences. The contrast between Paris and the open mountain landscape is central to the film, from Pierre's early scenes in the city to the glaciers, snowfields and remote campsites around Chamonix. The Aiguille du Midi and the surrounding peaks give the story its sense of distance, while the valley offers a quieter setting for Pierre's gradual change of direction.
The Mont Blanc massif, where Pierre’s journey into the mountains begins
SEE THE ALPS BEYOND THE SCREEN
Some Emerald Stay properties in the French Alps offer cinema corners for watching these films, along with panoramic mountain views that could belong on screen themselves. From the silhouette of Mont Blanc to the wide Alpine scenery around Megève, the landscape continues beyond the film. Settle in beside the fire, choose a favourite and see where the next scene takes you.
