This summer, the fires and extreme heat that affected the Gironde region had consequences far beyond tourism. Film shoots in the area also had to contend with these new climatic constraints.
In an article dedicated to how French productions are adapting to the extreme heat, Screen International interviewed Marie Rateau, director of Gironde Tournages , about the very concrete consequences of this summer of 2026: filming delayed due to fires, smoke and air quality, sets becoming inaccessible due to the level of risk…
You will bring down kings filming in the Gironde vineyards
Among the productions concerned, Tu feras tomber les rois , Maïté Sonnet 's first feature film , produced by Quartett Production and supported by the Gironde Department , is being filmed this summer between Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne.
Set in the heart of the vineyards of Southwest France, the film follows 13-year-old Sybille, left to her own devices for a summer after her little brother is hospitalized. Her encounter with Margot will lead her through her first steps towards adolescence.
This filming might ring a bell: Gironde Tournages announced its casting call in early July. Several locations in the Gironde region are hosting the crews, notably in Saint-Émilion, La Réole, and the Loupiac area.
Just days before the first day of filming, the ongoing fires still cast doubt on access to certain filming locations. The production had also anticipated the high temperatures with a heatwave plan , including a threshold beyond which filming would be suspended to protect the crew and actors, including children and teenagers.
These constraints resonate particularly with the film's message: as Screen International points out , "Tu feras tomber les rois" also explores, in the background, the environment and the state of the world . Maïté Sonnet, for her part, evokes a "tormented song of the countryside ," a phrase that takes on a very particular resonance in the context of this summer shoot.
Preserving teams, reducing the environmental impact of filming and coping with a changing climate: between eco-production and adapting to new climate constraints, the practices and professions of the industry are evolving very concretely.
