Romantic Drama about Famous Engineer Gustave Eiffel Unleashes Eiffel Hype in France

The film Eiffel in Love has unleashed a true Eiffel hype in France. The romantic print about France’s most famous engineer has already attracted a million French cinema visitors. An extensive biography has also been published, and enthusiasts can follow Gustave Eiffel’s footsteps through a new walking route in Paris.

 

Eiffel in Love by French director Martin Bourboulon portrays the forbidden relationship between Gustave Eiffel and his childhood sweetheart Adrienne Bourgès. The German-French co-production can be seen in Belgian cinemas since 13 October. In France, the film, which cost 22 million euros, was a great success, and the production caused a renewed fascination for the legendary engineer.

On the occasion of the World Exhibition in 1889, the impressive building process of the Eiffel Tower fades into the background in the romantic drama. Bourboulon focuses on the romance between Eiffel and Bourgès, played by Romain Duris and Emma Mackey. The latter is best known to the general public for the Netflix hit “Sex Education”.

Fact and fiction are closely intertwined in the film. Eiffel actually met Bourgès in Bordeaux between 1858 and 1860. The couple wanted to get married, but Bourgès’ parents resisted. It is believed that the two never saw each other again after this. In the film, Bourboulon lets Bourgès reappear, and the love between the two is rekindled.

A few weeks before the cinema premiere, the biography “The true life of Gustave Eiffel” was also published. Paris also launched a tourist route, “In the footsteps of Gustave Eiffel”, which takes a look at ten places that were central to the engineer’s life.