Big Sur and The Sandpiper
‘Dark, scant pasture drawn thin over rock shaped like flame; the old ocean at the land’s foot, the vast gray extension beyond the long white violence… This place is the noblest thing I have ever seen.’ These are the words of American poet Robinson Jeffers, describing Big Sur, a 72-mile stretch of breathtakingly rugged wilderness along California’s central coast.
Musicians Delight in Dublin: Once
Though it is perhaps not included among the many other cultural hubs of Europe—London, Paris, Rome—Dublin has as much to offer the culture vulture as any of the more renowned cities on “The Continent.” MORE >>
Bruges
There is something about including a city name in the title of film that gives it the imprimatur of quality. Casablanca, Fargo, Manhattan, Encino Man. OK, maybe not the last one. But In Bruges, a 2008 film starring Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell fits nicely beside the first three.
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The Birds
Including The Birds in our Movie Atlas is a bit of a cheat. Usually we feature movies that were filmed entirely on location, and Hitchcock's seminal horror flick uses plenty of studio footage. But it put Bodega Bay on the map. Big time.
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Play Misty for Me
Many, many films have been shot in Monterey County, on the central stretch of coastal California. Over 190, to be exact. And it's not surprising. If you've ever driven along 17 Mile Drive, you've probably wanted to make a movie there too. The definitive Monterey movie, however, has to be Play Misty for Me, the directorial debut of Carmel's most famous resident, local tycoon, and one-time mayor, Clint Eastwood.
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A River Runs Through It
As a director, actor and chairman of the Sundance Film Festival, Robert Redford has never tried to hide his love for the environment. While he’s made several films with stunning backdrops, none is as fitting a tribute to the natural world as A River Runs Through It, which was released in 1992. The movie is based on the novella of the same name by Norman MacLean.
Hikayat Al-Jawahir Thalath (Tale of the Three Jewels)
Khleifi's Tale of the Three Jewels was the first feature ever filmed in the Gaza Strip, which makes it perfect for Been-Seen's Movie Atlas. It was made entirely on location, by the sea, in the refugee camps and on the city streets - providing a fascinating insight into a unique environment.
The Hit
The Hit starts in a dreary council estate in London, where a mobster, Willy Parker (played by a brilliantly low-key Terence Stamp), is about to grass on his partners and plea-bargain his way into an easy life. Ten years later, the movie cuts to Spain, where he's living the life of Riley in a beautiful old fortified town. And that's the location of interest for our Movie Atlas.
El-haimoune (Wanderers of the Desert)
El-haimoune (Wanderers of the Desert) is the first in a trilogy of movies by director Nacer Khemir set in the expanse of the Tunisian desert. In fact, as he readily admits, ‘In all of my three movies, the desert is a character in itself.’
Iklimler (Climates)
Iklimler (or Climates) is written by, directed by and stars Nuri Bilge Ceylan as a college professor Isa, whose relationship with TV art director Bahar is crumbling. A bleak and emotional tale, it's beautifully shot on location in Turkey.
