Survive (original title: Survivre), released in 2024, is a gripping post-apocalyptic French science fiction thriller directed by Frédéric Jardin. With a screenplay written by Alexandre Coquelle and Mathieu Oullion, the film plunges viewers into a world overturned by ecological catastrophe and unimaginable predators rising from the ocean. Starring Émilie Dequenne as Julia, Andreas Pietschmann as Tom, Lisa Delamar as Cassie, and Lucas Ebel as Ben, the story is a high-stakes survival drama centered on a family torn apart and reunited amid global chaos.
THE STORY OF SURVIVE (2024)
At the heart of Survive is a family vacation gone horrifyingly wrong. For Ben’s birthday, Tom, an oceanographer, takes his wife Julia and their two kids, Cassie and Ben, on a boat trip out to sea. But happiness turns to fear when Julia almost drowns while swimming. While celebrating Ben’s birthday that night, his family sees some strange things, like whales around their boat and a strange storm they see on a video call.
The boat is hit by what Tom thinks is a whale, which is a disaster that leaves him seriously hurt. The real twist comes when things that look like meteors but are actually satellites fall from the sky. Soon after, a terrible storm leaves their yacht stuck on land while the ocean disappears. Tom discovers that Earth’s magnetic poles have reversed, triggering massive geological changes.
With chaos rising, the family meets Nao (played by Olivier Ho Hio Hen), a diver who offers them passage on a deep-sea vessel. But only two spots are available. Tom and Julia decide to give up their own lives to send their kids. An intruder attacks with violence and kills Tom. Julia, Cassie, and Ben run away, but they have to deal with scary crabs and rough terrain.
Julia finally decides to stay behind so her kids can get to safety, but Cassie comes back to save her. They make it to the boat, survive another pole flip, and drift to safety, showing how family, strength and sacrifice are important.
WHERE WAS SURVIVE (2024) FILMED?
The filming of Survive took place in Morocco, a location chosen not just for its rugged and breathtaking natural beauty but for its capacity to convincingly depict a world turned upside down by ecological disaster. Filming began on October 6, 2022, and wrapped within 20 days, adhering to a tight schedule and working on a modest budget of 5 million euros.
GORGES DU DADÈS, MOROCCO
One of the most striking locations used in the film is the Dadès Gorges in Boumalne-Dadès. The desert scenes, where the ocean has disappeared, looked surreal and out of this world against these beautiful rock formations. Director Frédéric Jardin looked for these shapes to make the post-apocalyptic landscape come alive without using a lot of digital effects. The rough, rocky landscapes were the focus of the movie’s visual storytelling, showing how scary it is for Earth to be changed by climate and magnetic changes.
In the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, these canyons were formed by nature. They are famous for their winding roads, steep cliffs, and wide views. They give the story a realistic feel while also adding a sense of strangeness and loneliness that fits with the family’s dangerous journey.
Erfoud Desert, Morocco
Another key filming location for Survive (2024) was the Erfoud Desert in southeastern Morocco. Erfoud is known for its dramatic desert landscapes, dunes, and rocky terrain—perfect for creating the harsh, post-apocalyptic world shown in the film.
Cast and crew members have shared behind-the-scenes memories of filming in Erfoud, describing it as a physically demanding yet unforgettable experience. Despite the tough shooting conditions—extreme heat, desert injuries, and long days—the team stayed positive, bonded over laughter, and enjoyed the unique Moroccan setting.
COASTAL MOROCCO – ATLANTIC OCEAN
The ocean scenes—where the film opens with the family enjoying their yacht—were shot off the coast of Morocco, along the Atlantic Ocean. The storm scenes, animal sightings, and the end of the sea all felt more real because they took place in these real places. Natural light and real sea conditions were used by director Jardin to make the movie feel more real.
The choice to film on real water gave the early parts of the movie a powerful feel, especially when Julia is about to drown and the boat is being shook by things that can’t be seen. This setting marked the change from a relaxing vacation to a scary survival story. Production notes say that Jardin preferred visual storytelling to dialogue, letting the power of nature and how people react to it drive the tension.
NATURAL SETTINGS & MINIMAL VFX
Director Frédéric Jardin specifically chose Morocco to reduce reliance on CGI and amplify realism. In an industry where most disaster films are heavy on green screens, Survive stands apart. The barren land scenes required minimal digital enhancement thanks to the rugged Moroccan terrain, especially in Dadès Gorges, which convincingly stood in for dried ocean floors.
The film’s cinematographer Pierre Aïm beautifully captured the contrasts between the vast emptiness of the desert and the threatening vastness of the sea. His work gave the film an atmospheric quality, balancing stillness with tension.
ATMOSPHERIC VISUAL STYLE ROOTED IN LOCATION
One of the standout aspects of Survive is its visual style. The use of natural environments—especially the endless dry landscapes of Dadès Gorges—adds weight and realism to the film’s themes of catastrophe and survival. The vast desert evokes the ghost of a vanished ocean, making the viewer feel both awe and dread. The cinematography skillfully uses these spaces to build a tone that is both eerie and intimate.
This visual storytelling was further enhanced by the clever use of camera movement and minimalistic dialogue. Jardin intentionally used the physicality of the locations to reflect the emotional isolation and desperation of the characters.
FILMING CHALLENGES AND CAST INSIGHTS
Émilie Dequenne, who played the fierce and resilient Julia, revealed during promotion that she was secretly battling adrenocortical carcinoma, a rare form of cancer, while working on the film. In an interview with Le Parisien, she explained that she experienced intense physical pain during shooting and later found out about her diagnosis.
She cut her nose during a fight scene and hurt her back running on the steep Moroccan terrain. Still, she continued with the production until her diagnosis in August 2023. Her emotional and physical strength added a layer of authenticity to her portrayal of Julia, a mother who goes to unimaginable lengths to protect her children.
Her commitment to the role and recovery was widely admired, especially after she opened up about her condition publicly in October 2023 on Instagram. Her post here reflected her determination and resilience, both on and off screen.
THE NAME “ORCA” – A CINEMATIC NOD
Interestingly, the family’s boat in Survive is named Orca, a subtle nod to the boat featured in Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975), also called Orca. In both films, the vessel and its occupants face monstrous threats from the depths of the sea. This detail adds a cinematic connection for fans of the thriller and horror genre.
SURVIVE (2024) OFFICIAL TRAILER
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