Netflix’s “Athena” Written and directed by Romain Gavras, is a French drama film that revolves around the chaos born from the tragic killing of a young boy, Idir, in the community of Athena. When he is murdered on camera by some men in police uniforms, his three brothers – Karim, Moktar, and Abdel – raise hell in the neighborhood as their differences of opinion turn them against each other.
Eldest brother Moktar seems to care less about Idir’s death and more about the consequences his business operations will face after the event.
Abdel, the middle brother, is a member of the police and believes that the system will do justice to their late brother. However, Karim, the younger brother, is hot-headed and takes matters into his own hands. Sibling rivalry over the controversial topic of killing their brother results in an all-out neighborhood war that gives way to many action sequences.
In addition, viewers wonder how various locations were destroyed throughout the film and whether it was shot on location.
Where Was Athena Movie Filmed?
“Athena” was shot entirely in France, specifically in Essonne. Principal photography on the Netflix film reportedly began in early August 2021 and wrapped two months later, in early October of that year.
Since the fictional Athena neighborhood where the story takes place is in France, it makes sense why the filmmakers decided to shoot the film in that country.
According to reports, it was recorded chronologically, mostly at night. Now, without further ado, we’ll take you right into the middle of the conflict and take you through all the specific locations featured in the Athena film!
France
All key sequences of “Athena” were filmed in Essonne, a department of France located in the southern region of Île-de-France. The production team set up camp in the commune of Évry-Courcouronnes, particularly at the Place du Parc aux Lièvres. Located in the southern suburbs of Paris, Évry-Courcouronnes is a prefecture of Essonne.
View this post on Instagram
In an interview with Variety in early September 2022, director Romain Gavras revealed that his team was able to include many locals in the film as cast and crew members. He said: “90% of our cast is from the neighborhood, we’ve got almost everyone involved, from cast to catering and set.”
View this post on Instagram
Over the years, Essonne has served as a prominent production location for various films and television shows. Apart from “Athena”, the department appeared in several projects such as “Titan”, “Happening”, “Officer and Spy” “Dangerous Liaisons”, and “Standing Tall”.
Related – The Girls at the Back (2022): Where Was Netflix’s Series Filmed?