The Kitchen has captured the imagination of Netflix viewers who have been swept up by its bleak vision of the future. Filmed in both London and Paris but imagining the former as a near-future dystopia ravaged by gentrification, like all good sci-fi, the film holds a mirror up to our own reality and leaves the viewer with plenty to think about
Where was Netflix’s The Kitchen filmed?
London
A lot of filming for the sci-fi movie was undertaken in The Barbican Estate area of London. This residential area was perfect for filming the movie, and it looks as if the area was enhanced with clever CGI to create the atmosphere and vibe required for The Kitchen.
The Barbican Estate is located in central London and is comprised of around two thousand residencies, including houses, flats, and maisonettes. The area is known as a center for various financial institutions, and after severe bombing in WWII, the rebuilt location was intended to be used as rental housing for upwardly mobile professionals working in the city. The neighborhood also contains The Barbican Arts Centre, The Barbican Public Library, The City of London School for Girls, and The Museum of London.
An article in London World reveals that The Barbican’s nature reserve was also utilized for many scenes in the film that are easy to spot. However, when the London location couldn’t quite meet the film’s aesthetic, the directors decided to look elsewhere for further inspiration.
Bethnal Green’s LEB Building
An excellent article in Time Out also gave some clues for other filming locations, including the LEB Building in Bethnal Green, London. This area housed the building for the electricity board in the 1950s, and the street market scenes that you see during the movie were constructed in the car park of this building.
Paris, France
An article in Deadline would reveal that the production required something extra, leading producer Daniel Emmerson to look at The Damiers complex in Paris. He told Deadline: “We couldn’t find a location in London that suited the aesthetic that Kibwe and Daniel wanted to build, to give it that slightly otherworldly look.”
The directors would be inspired by the housing project, built in the 1970s, and use the look of this area for the film.
The Kitchen Production Timeline
- Directors Tavares, Kaluuya, and the film’s producer Daniel Emmerson, had been working on the project as far back as 2014. A conversation in a barber shop would see the idea start to form.
- By 2016, the idea was selected for Sundance’s Screenwriting and Directing Lab. For many years, the team would play with the idea, and eventually backing and financial support would be found.
- The film would finally get started in March 2022.
- Filming would continue through to June 2022.
- The Kitchen premiered at the 67th BFI Film Festival in October 2023.
- The film was released in selected cinemas on January 12, 2024.
- Finally, The Kitchen was released globally on Netflix on January 19, 2024.
Who directed The Kitchen?
The Kitchen was directed by Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya. Tavares is a filmmaker and architect and is the co-founder of Factory Fifteen, a production company that specializes in animation.
You will know Daniel from films such as Get Out, Black Panther, and Queen and Slim.
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