Where was The Life Ahead filmed? The Location in Italy
Posted by Ra Moon
The Life Ahead (La vita davanti a sé in the original Italian) is the return of legendary Italian actress Sophia Loren after 10 years of retirement.
The star, now 86, still retains a strong screen presence while acting in her son Edoardo Ponti's new project.
The movie is a remake of the 1977 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film, the French Madame Rosa, also based on the novel by Romain Gary The Life Before Us.
The star, now 86, still retains a strong screen presence while acting in her son Edoardo Ponti's new project.
The movie is a remake of the 1977 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film, the French Madame Rosa, also based on the novel by Romain Gary The Life Before Us.
The story revolves around Sophia playing Madame Rosa, a Holocaust survivor and former prostitute who takes care of orphan kids like Momo (Ibrahima Gueye), a rebel 12-years old boy from Senegalese origins.
The Life Ahead was filmed in Bari, the capital city of the wonderful Apulia region, the heel of the Italian boot. Here is our spoiler-free filming locations guide.
The house of Madame Rosa is very close to Bari's central train station, at 208 Corso Cavour.
The first time I traveled to Bari myself, my guesthouse was located just a block away from here. The area is a good base to visit the city, but a bit cramped, seeing as you have a section of the elevated viaduct in the middle and cars all over the place.
The filmmakers also set up here, on the square in front of the house, for the flea market where Momo robs the silver candlesticks from Madame Rosa.
The antique shop owned by Hamil (played by Iranian actor Babak Karimi) is located in the heart of Bari's old city, Bari Vecchia.
This beautiful medieval quarter is a maze of streets filled with the white houses characteristic of this region bordering the Adriatic Sea.
Local media reported that some filming also took place in an old palace located in the historic center of Trani. We reckon that this house could have been used to shoot the interiors of the store.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
The scene when Momo is happy riding his new bike under the palm trees was filmed at Giardino Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, the boulevard that splits the old and the new city.
Some establishing shots show the lighthouse Faro di Punta San Cataldo in the harbor.
The lower picture shows the historical center with the imposing Cathedral of San Sabino rising above the rooftops.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
The countryside house and the rural farm with the never-ending field of olive trees were filmed at Masseria Brancati, located near the town of Ostuni in the Salento region.
Today the Masseria is a bed and breakfast, occupying an old fortified rural farmhouse.
The estate is situated in the middle of a centuries-old olive tree area called Marina di Ostuni.
You mustn’t miss this gorgeous town, also known as The White City (Città Bianca) if you’re in the area.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
Where is the Jewish cemetery? Can you help to improve this article about the filming locations of The Life Ahead? To complete and correct this report, any feedback, info, or images that you may have are more than welcome, thank you!
NOTICE: If you’re using this information on your website, please credit and link to this page as a source.
*****
Ra Moon
Atlas of Wonders is looking for wonderful Filming Locations all around the world. We are constantly updating and improving our posts with new details and images. Follow us here:
All comments are reviewed prior to publication