Jim Jarmusch’s Next Movie Is a France-Set Road Trip, Filming Begins in May

UPDATE: Jarmusch told The Guardian he’s shooting this one next month, in May.

EARLIER: Jim Jarmusch is coming off his Golden Lion win at Venice for “Father Mother Sister Brother,” but he will not be resting on his laurels, as he’s already preparing to shoot his next film.

Yesterday marked the Brazilian premiere of “Father Mother Sister Brother” at the São Paulo International Film Festival, where producer Atilla Salih Yücer mentioned during the Q&A that he’s working with Jarmusch on the director’s next project. It’s a “road movie” to be shot entirely in France, one that will pass through four French cities.

Jim Jarmusch has indeed mentioned plans to shoot in France, and he’s spoken about the country being a preferred location. Here are some specifics:

Earlier this year, Jarmusch expressed his intent to film in France due to the stringent obstacles involved in securing financing in the U.S. He even went so far as to say that he was looking to obtain a French passport because he would rather not make American movies anymore.

In America, I’m an indie filmmaker, and I’m happy to be that. But in France, I’m an actual film director. Now my next films will all be shot in France. I’m trying to get a French passport, in fact. Shooting here is prohibitive. It’s stressful, it’s traumatizing.

Jarmusch isn’t the only non-French filmmaker who has decided to shoot in France. In recent years, Richard Linklater, Paul Verhoeven, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Asghar Farhadi, Ira Sachs, Woody Allen, and Roman Polanski have all gone there to make films.

The reason for this recent surge in foreign filmmakers working in France may lie in the government’s strong support for the film industry — particularly through grants and tax incentives. It’s simply much easier to make a movie there, especially if you’re already a well-established director.

Someone should tell Charlie Kaufman to go there. While we’re at it, get Todd Solondz and John Waters to do the same.

The Ohio-born Jarmusch has been a mainstay of the indie movie scene since the 1980s. His minimalist, unhurried, and idiosyncratic films don’t follow traditional narrative structures but instead tend to focus more on mood.

Jarmusch’s most notable films include “Paterson,” “Only Lovers Left Alive,” “Stranger Than Paradise,” “Dead Man,” “Broken Flowers,” “Down by Law,” and “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.” However, he has such an eclectic filmography that I’m sure some of his other works will be mentioned in the comments below.

Many thanks to Matheo for the intel from Brazil. The 49th São Paulo Film Festival The Festival takes place from October 16 to 30.