Alpha is a gripping 2025 French drama directed and written by Julia Ducournau, known for her bold storytelling in Titane and Raw. This time, she returns with a haunting yet emotional tale centered on a teenage girl navigating fear, isolation, and societal judgment. If you’re curious about where Alpha was filmed and how those locations shaped the mood of the movie, you’re in the right place. Here at NetFilming, we’ve got all the key details for film location enthusiasts and fans of French cinema.
The movie stars Tahar Rahim, Golshifteh Farahani, Emma Mackey, Mélissa Boros, Finnegan Oldfield, and Louai El Amrousy. Set in a fictional 1980s backdrop, it tells the story of 13-year-old Alpha, who lives with her single mother during a time when a mysterious blood disease is turning people’s bodies into stone-like marble. The metaphor-heavy plot carries strong themes of fear, stigma, and coming-of-age trauma, similar to the historical panic during the early AIDS epidemic.
The film premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on May 19, receiving strong praise and a lengthy standing ovation. It’s scheduled for a theatrical release across France on August 20, 2025.
Where Was Alpha Filmed?
Principal photography for Alpha took place primarily in France, with most scenes shot in Normandy and a few in Paris. These spots were carefully chosen to reflect the 1980s-inspired, surreal world of the movie, which acts as an allegory for the AIDS crisis.
1. Le Havre, Normandy, France
The majority of Alpha was filmed in Le Havre, a coastal city in northern France. Known for its modernist post-war architecture and atmospheric port views, Le Havre brought a gritty yet oddly poetic tone to the film. Director Julia Ducournau used the city’s minimalist design and concrete surroundings to underline the cold, emotionally repressive world that Alpha lives in.
Filming here lasted around 35 days, and several sequences were shot in real residential areas like Rue Gabriel-Péri and Rue de Fleurus. The contrast between the ordinary setting and the extraordinary events of the story created a strong sense of realism—blending everyday life with unsettling horror.
2. Pont-Audemer, Normandy
For a key school scene, the crew moved to Pont-Audemer, a smaller town in Normandy. They filmed at a public swimming pool on October 23 and 24, 2024. The pool was chosen because it still looks how it did in the 1980s. This setting let the movie show the time period without using a lot of expensive sets or digital effects.
The sequences shot here add to the movie’s themes of being a teenager and being weak. The old-fashioned pool contributes to the uncomfortable but nostalgic mood, which shows how the character is feeling within.
3. Paris, France
After finishing the filming in Normandy, the crew moved to Paris to film more shots. Filming in Paris took place from late October to November 2024. Most of it was indoors, but there were also some evocative background shots.
Paris isn’t the main setting in the movie, but its presence gives an urban contrast and helps to complete Alpha’s emotional and narrative arc. It reminds her of the pressure that society puts on those outside of her small community.
When Was Alpha Filmed?
Alpha’s film production began in September 2024 and extended through November 2024. Production started in Le Havre, Normandy, which served as the primary filming location for the first few weeks. This comprised the set pieces for Alpha’s household and several prominent public settings in the city.
On October 23 and 24, the team shifted to Pont-Audemer to film inside an old public swimming pool. This location added a retro 1980s atmosphere to the film, which was important for its nostalgic tone.
After filming finished in Normandy, the crew relocated to Paris in late October to November 2024. Filming in the capital continued until early November, capturing supplementary interiors and auxiliary angles, which were essential to tell the complete story. Overall, the entire filming process took just a little over two months.
Alpha Behind The Scenes
The traumatic and heartbreaking narrative of Alpha is flanked with sophisticated production that compelled the cast and crew to confront primal feelings and profound societal phobias. Julia Ducournau, the film’s director, is recognized for her strong stylistic choices, and for this movie, she sought to achieve greater intimacy, even if the emotional intensity was on par with her previous work.
“Alpha is about fear—but not the monstrous kind. It’s the fear of being different, rejected, or loved too much,” Ducournau explained during an interview at Cannes. She wanted the film to reflect a world that felt both distant and familiar and used real locations in Normandy and Paris to keep the story grounded.
Lead actor Tahar Rahim, who portrays Alpha’s uncle, shed 20 kilograms for the role. Discussing the change, he said, “It was challenging, but this role required me to disappear into someone broken, someone who’s barely holding on.”
The production also placed a focus on young talent. Mélissa Boros, who plays Alpha, went through a lengthy casting process. Ducournau shared that Boros brought an “unfiltered honesty” to the character, which was impossible to ignore.
The team had a modest-sized crew, which allowed them to use natural light and handheld cameras, which contributed to the film’s realism. Filming in real locations like the housing blocks in Le Havre and the retro pool in Pont-Audemer provided realism without excessive reliance on VFX.
Alpha Official Trailer
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