Paris - France

Today, the Palace of Versailles is recalling one of the most famous cinematic works associated with its modern image, with the opening of an exhibition celebrating the 20th anniversary of the film “Marie Antoinette” by director Sofia Coppola. The exhibition will be held at the Petit Trianon from September 22, 2026 until January 24, 2027, in cooperation with Coppola herself, reviewing the scenes of the making of the film and its cultural and aesthetic impact.

The film returns to the set

The experience gains its specialness from the fact that large parts of the film were actually filmed inside Versailles, including locations within the Trianon. Therefore, the visitor does not only watch cinematic collectibles inside a traditional hall, but also returns to the same places that appeared on the screen two decades ago.

Fashion and secrets behind the camera

The exhibition includes original costumes designed by Melina Canonero, as well as shoes created by Manolo Blahnik, props used in the filming, Storyboards, written scenarios, photos from the filming locations and drawings of the decorations. Visual displays also allow the visitor to watch scenes from the film inside some of the rooms in which they were actually filmed.

Coppola redrew the image of the Queen
The Palace of Versailles indicates that the vision of Sofia Coppola, the director and writer of the film, departed from the traditional historical biography, and presented Marie Antoinette as a young woman facing isolation, boredom, and the restrictions of court life. This treatment contributed to reshaping its image in popular culture, as well as presenting the palace itself from a contemporary visual perspective.

Way beyond the movie screen

The film won the Oscar for Best Costume Design in 2007, while the Palace of Versailles believes that the combination of historical accuracy, contemporary boldness, and pastel colors created what became known as “Marie Antoinette’s style,” whose influence extends to fashion, design, and photography.

A different experience for the Arab tourist

For Arab tourists in Paris, the exhibition provides an additional reason to visit Versailles apart from the traditional tour of the palace and gardens. It combines history, cinema, fashion and design in one trip, and turns the filming location itself into part of the story that the visitor witnesses. The exhibition receives the public in the afternoon, with operating hours differing between the fall and winter seasons.