Aahana Swrup
‘Under a Dark Sun’ is a French show about a wealthy family who finds themselves in the middle of a murder mystery fiasco. A dark omen takes over the Lasserre Estate after the death of its owner, Arnaud. In the aftermath, the estate’s newest employee, Alba, a single mother seemingly on the run from her dark past, emerges as the most obvious suspect. Therefore, things become even more complicated when the deceased’s will reveals he has left part of his inheritance to Alba, his apparent biological daughter. As a result, a battle breaks out between the Lasserre family and its newest heir, with everyone close to the patriarch becoming a suspect in his fateful death. Given the close-to-home nature of this homicide investigation, most of the story unfolds in and around the family’s illustrious estate, known for its large flower fields. However, is there any real-life relevance behind this location?
The Lasserre Estate is a Fictional Location
‘Under a Dark Sun’ is largely a fictitious tale with little to no real-life inspiration behind its storyline. For the same reason, most of its narrative elements also retain a similar level of separation from reality. This is also true for the Lasserre Estate, the central location where much of Alba’s whirlwind tale unravels. In real life, there is no family estate in Grasse, France that has the same moniker or physical attributes as the on-screen property. In fact, the fictional estate only shares its name with off-screen real estate businesses or one small French town in the Occitania region’s Merenvielle commune. Consequently, the opulent mansion, attached campsite, and noteworthy rose fields of the Lasserre family remain confined within the fictional borders of the story.
The nearest counterparts that can be drawn up for the fictitious estate stem from the various real-life locations that served as filming destinations for the show. For instance, the cast and crew filmed part of the show in Èze, a seaside commune in France that is a hotspot for tourists and honeymoon holidays. Therefore, it is more than likely that parts of what made the estate’s on-screen visuals were taken from the 5-star tourist hotel, Château de La Chèvre d’Or. Likewise, other scenic locations like the Le Domaine des Aspres in Biot, France, which is known for its Belle Époque Château and luxurious surroundings, could’ve also contributed to the on-screen appearance of the Lasserre Estate. However, apart from serving as the possible filming locations for the latter, these real-life places have no other connection to the estate.
In the show, Alba arrives at the luxury estate in response to a job offer as a flower picker at the residence’s lucrative rose fields. However, she ends up getting more than she bargained for as her unexpected connection to the estate’s head automatically makes her part-owner of the property. Yet, before she can lay claim to any inheritance, she must prove her innocence, a feat best achieved by uncovering the killer’s real identity. Since Arnaud’s family members are high up on the list of suspects, the killer’s motivations inherently tie back to the estate and its fields, whose sale has been a hot topic among the Lasserre family. As such, he fictitious location serves a crucial role within the narrative, informing various aspects of the story, its characters, and their motivations. Thus, much like the overarching plot, the estate also fittingly remains a work of fiction.
Read More: Under a Dark Sun Ending Explained: Who Killed Arnaud?
