The Returned (“Les Revenants”) is a TV series filmed on location around the Annecy area of the French Alps, and at the Tignes Dam. The drama is making a return to television screens with a new series of episodes. The Returned is a story of the paranormal and is set in a town in the mountains of France where many people mysteriously come back to life after being thought to be dead.
Amazingly their bodies have not aged, even though several years have gone by since their deaths. As well as a number of strange phenomena that happen, including power outages and the water levels of a local reservoir suddenly dropping to reveal the bodies of animals and the steeple of a church, a gruesome murder attempt takes place that has a similarity to the work of a serial killer from the past.
The Lake Pub
The Lake Pub in Sevrier, a lakeside suburb of Annecy, is one of the main locations used in scenes in The Returned. It is where Lena, one of the characters from the series, drinks to drown her sorrows. She is the twin sister of Camille, who is one of the people who come back to the town, even though she supposedly died in a coach crash four years before this. Also in the story, the Lake Pub’s barman murders his serial killer brother by burying him alive.
Based on They Came Back
The Returned TV drama is actually a reworking of a French film entitled They Came Back (“Les Revenants”) that was directed by Robin Campillo and released in 2004.
The first series of The Returned was shown in 2012 on the Canal+ French TV channel. In 2013, it was awarded an International Emmy for Best Drama Series. The second series was shown in 2015, again on Canal+ but it was also broadcast in the UK and US.
Return From the Alpine Pastures Festival Also Returns to Annecy
Speaking of returns, every autumn in Annecy, the Return From the Alpine Pastures Festival (“Retour des Alpages”) celebrates a tradition of the farming community in this mountainous region of the Haute-Savoie. This is the time of the year when the herds of dairy cows come down from the higher levels of the mountains where they have been grazing throughout the summer.
The streets of Annecy come alive with a parade of herdsmen with their cows, folklore groups and musical performers, and there are demonstrations of traditional farming skills. Stalls sell the best of local produce, such as cheese, and various arts and crafts are on display and for sale. This year the big day falls on Saturday 8 October when Annecy will be celebrating the Return from the Alpine Pastures.
Annecy is not only a wonderful location where you can enjoy a colourful traditional festival, such as the Return from the Alpine Pastures, but it is also an excellent place to study French because in the town you can find our own language school.
