New Orleans is a place like no other and its cultural and historical roots run deep. The city is steeped with historical truths, myths, and folklore, and locations like Congo Square, Bourbon Street, the Storyville red-light district, the Garden District and the French Quarter all hold clues to times past. With a reputation for excellent cuisine and setting fashion trends, New Orleans is also known for its beautiful architecture and unique mix of French, Spanish and Caribbean design aesthetics.
So, it’s no surprise that for the past several decades, New Orleans has been chosen as the set location for films like Interview With A Vampire, Girls Trip, Bolden, A Streetcar Named Desire, Beasts of The Southern Wild, Deja Vu, and countless others. The five films showcased below reveal even more about the rich history of New Orleans. From Eve’s Bayou and to The Feast of All Saints, these films give a glimpse into the many subcultures and locations that make the city so unique.
The Feast of All Saints (2001)
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Mulattoes, quadroons, octoroons, and quintroons were a feast for the eyes of many of the White and European men who came to New Orleans during Placage season. Placage was a time of year during the 18th and 19th centuries when wealthy men traveled to places like New Orleans to have their pick of the most beautiful women of color. The Feast of All Saints, directed by Peter Medak, and based on Anne Rice’s book of the same name provides a glimpse into the lives of 19th-century people of color, the Placage, and how racial categorization, privilege, and in some instances, oppression collide. This movie series transparently depicts the intricate and detailed racial categories, class systems, and plight of free Blacks in places like New Orleans. In The Feast of All Saints, Marcel Ste. Marie (Robert Ri’chard), the illegitimate son of a very wealthy French plantation owner and his beautiful Creole mistress, Cecile Ste. Marie (Gloria Reuben) sets out on a quest to learn more about his identity. While the movie was filmed predominantly in Canada, the set design and costume design were created to depict the unique combination of charm, elegance, and culture of New Orleans during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Eve’s Bayou (1997)
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Directed by Kasi Lemmons, Eve’s Bayou centers on the wealthy Batiste family, descendants of a French aristocrat who founded the fictional Louisiana town of Eve’s Bayou. Eve’s Bayou depicts this Creole community with great attention to detail and centers themes around memory, sight, the supernatural, and familial gifts. The family dynamics and connection are powerful within this movie. Aunt Mozelle(Debbi Morgan), a Hoodoo practitioner, who has also been dubbed “The Black Widow” loves her niece, Eve Baptiste (Jurnee Smollett) who also has the gift of being a seer. While Mozelle’s life is different from her wealthy, well-put-together sister Roz Baptiste (Lynn Whitfield), the film makes it clear that in life we all have our burdens. As a result of its in-depth portrayal of Creoles and Louisiana life, Eve’s Bayou was entered into the US National Film Registry due to its cultural and historical significance.Eve’s Bayou with its nuanced depiction of wealthy Creoles, Louisiana Voodoo, and the coming-of-age of a tween girl entering puberty, showcases many beautiful locations in Louisiana and New Orleans. The set location for the Batiste family estate in the film was the historic Otis House at Fairview-Riverside State Park.
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006)
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While the “Big Easy” is known for its party-like atmosphere, great food, and culture, there’s also a part of Louisiana and New Orleans history that lends itself to the harsh realities that come along with geographical segregation, unethical zoning practices, and the systemic oppression of marginalized communities. Under the direction of Spike Lee, When The Levees Broke brilliantly gives viewers first-hand accounts of the experiences of those directly impacted by Hurricane Katrina. With this Emmy-award-winning four-part series, Lee was able to show the world the true plight of those whose lives were greatly impacted by the storm, and at times, gave voice to those who were enraged by the city’s officials negligence towards those who were displaced.
12 Years A Slave (2013)
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While New Orleans’ Garden District is known for its luscious gardens and lawns, and decadent mansions; in the past, it was one the sections of town with an isolated collection of plantations, and housed some of the most powerful plantation owners. So, it’s no coincidence that the wildly successful film 12 Years A Slave based on the 1853 memoir of Solomon Northup, chose New Orleans and many parts of Louisiana as the main set location for filming. The Garden District of New Orleans is stunning and architecturally set apart, and the authentic plantation-style homes are truly reminiscent of the city’s past. In the film, it’s 1841 and Solomon Northup, a free Black man living in New York is stolen, drugged, and beaten. And, sold into slavery. While the movie chronicles his experiences, it also gives a glimpse inside some of the most beautiful plantation homes in New Orleans such as the historic antebellum plantations: Magnolia, Felicity, Bocage, and Destrehan.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
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While Benjamin Button’s journeys take him to many different places around the world, the film is shot mainly in New Orleans. Directed by David Fincher, and based on a short story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the film tells the story of a man, Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) who ages in reverse and is raised by Queenie (Taraji Henson). According to New Orleans Historical, when scouting locations for what Fincher imagined Benjamin Button’s childhood home would be, he discovered the home of Mrs. Nolan in New Orleans’ Garden District, at 2707 Coliseum Street. And, coincidentally Mrs. Nolan’s life held a great parallel to the life of Daisy (Cate Blanchett) within the film. Additionally, the famed Lafayette Cemetery #1 is also a major site location of the film.
