Small villages in the city, the garden cities of Le Logis and Floréal immerse us in the heart of the 1930s. With their charming cottage style, cherry blossom-lined streets, and brightly coloured shutters, they seem straight out of a children's book. At numbers 12 and 14 rue du Friquet, director Jaco Van Dormael filmed the childhood of the main character in his film Toto le Héros. The scene with the dancing tulips (shot in one of the gardens of the workers' city) was both funny and poetic, leaving a lasting impression.
1. The Le Logis and Floréal Garden Cities of Boitsfort – Toto le Héros (1991) by Jaco Van Dormael
2. The Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries - The Danish Girl (2015) by Tom Hooper
For over 175 years, the Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries have displayed their grand architecture in the heart of Brussels. With their glass roof resembling a "crystal palace", their iron and glass architecture punctuated with nods to the Italian Renaissance, they are (in more ways than one) one of the capital's jewels. Their incredible, 213m-long perspective is seen in the moving biographical film The Danish Girl. Matthias Schoenaerts and Alicia Vikander stroll through them before settling at the à la Mort Subite café for a tête-à-tête over a bottle of Meursault.
3. Béguinage - Les Misérables (2018-2019) by Andrew Davies
Before embodying Emily in Paris, Lily Collins first played Fantine in Brussels. While the novel Les Misérables takes place in the Paris of the 1830 Revolution, part of the mini-series inspired by Victor Hugo's masterpiece was filmed (in part) in Brussels. Jean Valjean, Javert, or Cosette could thus stroll in front of the baroque Italo-Flemish facade of the Church of Saint John the Baptist at the Béguinage, or on the green lawns of Brussels Park.
4. Villa Empain - Le Fidèle (2016) by Michaël R. Roskam
Take breathtaking car races, add grandiose gangster affairs and an incandescent love story, mix it all with brilliance, and you get: Le Fidèle! by Mickael R. Roskam, this drama blends action and passion. Among the sequences filmed in Brussels, the shootout scene in the grand marble hall of Villa Empain stands out. The legendary residence of the eponymous Baron now houses the activities of the Boghossian Foundation, a centre for art and dialogue between Eastern and Western cultures. On screen, the contrast between the refined architecture of the Art Deco building and the violence of the armed intervention is disturbingly beautiful.
© visit.brussels - Jean-Paul Remy
The 7th art, 6 feet under
Who ever said that cemeteries can’t be photogenic? In Brussels, these beautiful places of rest offer timeless settings. Covered in vegetation, Dieweg Cemetery has been abandoned since 1958, giving its alleys an unparalleled charm. Another cemetery, another atmosphere: Laeken Cemetery welcomes Brussels VIPs (including members of the royal family) in the shadow of the splendid adjoining Gothic church. Films like Bonhoeffer (2023), Le Fidèle (2016), or Mon Ange (2004) filmed scenes there.
5. Théâtre du Vaudeville - Grond (2022) by Mathieu Mortelmans, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah
Experienced TV series enthusiasts may have heard of Grond, a 100% Belgian quirky tragicomedy. It follows the adventures of two friends, Ismaël and JB, endearing losers and kings of failed inventions. The series tackles profound subjects such as grief and the repatriation of the deceased from Belgium to the Maghreb, without losing its sense of the absurd. Our budding entrepreneurs are found in the plush red velvet seats of the Théâtre du Vaudeville during a hilarious award ceremony scene. This theatre, a listed historical monument nestled in the Queen’s Gallery, has existed since 1884.