Behind the rail scenes of L’âme idéale
A romantic comedy starring Jonathan Cohen and Magali Lépine-Blondeau, Alice Vial's feature film was released in French cinemas on 17 December 2025. Blending romance with a hint of the supernatural, it was partly shot on SNCF trains and railway property in Normandy. The film crew takes us behind the scenes.
It all starts with a script featuring scenes set on a moving train—sequences designed to drive the narrative forward, both literally and figuratively. In order for these written scenes to be brought to the screen, the stage manager and production manager of the film must prep for months.
The shooting of railway scenes seen from the production side
A co-creation
Through the discussions between the production teams and our Cinema & Tournages unit regarding the specific conditions of the shoot, the schedule, and the planned workforce, the scenes created by screenwriter and director Alice Vial evolve. In this instance, for example, a sleeper train becomes a... regional express train!
On D-Day, our teams on deck, i.e. SNCF agents working for TER Normandie and at Le Havre station, were fully committed to make sure that everything ran smoothly.
Meet Alice Vial, director of the film ‘L'âme idéale’
« L’âme idéale » behind the camera
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