Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/916056
Two important challenges faced by the film were having to work with all the inhabitants living in the area, tending their daily routines, and that the narrow streets there were also important traffic lines for the city. The collaboration with the French location department, led by Arnaud Kaiser, was of great importance and the people of Dunkirk were very open and friendly to the preparation team and the film crew. The opening sequence traveling through the inner streets was a chance to give the audience the experience of French architecture, and an important part of that experience is the café verandas that were built to narrow the end of the opening journey through the streets, opening onto the wide and endless beach. THE BEACH AND THE CONFERENCE CENTRE Entering the beach, one encountered some of our challenges that needed either to be disguised or changed, because things didn't fit into the visual context or the period. The production had to do as much as possible in-camera, with minimal use of visual effects. One of those challenges was a large building called the Kursaal, a modern conference centre, that Nathan had designed as a cement factory. The construction team needed five weeks on location to build the façade, and with good help from the city, it was managed without closing or affecting any of the different activities and offices that had to operate daily. David Packard, UK scenic artist, and his A B C D E F