2019 DTLA Film Festival, West Coast Premiere
Written and directed by Jenna Suru, who also stars, The Golden Age (L’Âge d’or) transports viewers to the summer of 1967, recreating the look of Paris, Los Angeles and the artist’s colony Saint-Tropez. Beautifully filmed, it’s an edgy romantic comedy about two idealistic young people struggling to maintain their artistic integrity
Courtesy of Belle Epoque Films
Sebastian Davis (Sebastien Cipolla) is a young man with French parentage who was raised in America. He’s returning to Paris for the first time since he was a child. Somehow familiar, it all seems different and new to him. With the Eiffel Tower in the background, he “meets cute” the lovely Angèle Devaux (Jenna Suru), who’s been nearly pushed off a bench by camera wielding tourists. He comes to her rescue speaking in halting but reasonably good French.
Courtesy of Belle Epoque Films
He’s an aspiring movie producer from the City of Angels and she’s a theater actress from the City of Light. The stars seem to have lined up in their favor. Unfortunately, despite his innocent appearance, Sebastian has a dark secret that could keep him on the run.
Photo by S. Angeloni
As if thirty seven locations including Saint-Tropez, with the most gorgeous scenery imaginable were not enough, the film also has plenty of action and plot twists. When the couple decides to put on a show, anything could happen.
Photo by S. Angeloni
At the DTLA Film Festival Q&A, director Suru revealed that The Golden Age “was the last fiction drama to be filmed around Notre-Dame Cathedral” (seen briefly in the opening scene) before the tragic fire. She also spoke with reverence of the radiant light of Saint-Tropez and how the number of takes were limited to “the golden hour.” She noted the connection she feels to the French New Wave which primarily used location shooting.
Courtesy of Belle Epoch Films
Her co-star Cipolla, she says, felt deeply connected to the character and story from the first read through and loved playing Sebastian Davis. In the Los Angeles sequence, he’s seen boarding the iconic Angel’s Flight made famous in numerous film noir movies.
DTLA Film Festival photo by Crimson Kimono
Cinematography by Stephen Pinkston
Edited by Jean-Baptiste Vernhes.
Costume and set design by @pattie.world