The City of Light never ceases to inspire and fascinate the 7th art. Take a trip through the history of Paris through the eyes of cinema, and rediscover our beautiful capital in spite of its reconfiguration. Paris will always be Paris…
1° Ode to theater in Belle Époque Paris with “Edmond”
December 1897, Paris. Edmond Rostand set about writing a play that no one believed in. Name? Cyrano de Bergerac. A veritable ode to French theater, “Edmond” is a masterpiece of the 7th art. Although this sublime feature was shot in the Czech Republic, notably in Prague, where Alexis Michalik and his team disguised the streets to recreate those of 19th-century Paris, the spectator finds himself transported to the Paris of the Belle Époque, in a marvellous, almost idealized, light-filled life, just like in Le Fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain. We love discovering the creative process behind a play that has become legendary, backstage at the theater or the former Parisian brothel “Aux belles poules”. Coup de coeur!
2° Vidoq’s Paris in 1840 with “L’Empereur de Paris”
For once, after Gauguin and Mesrine, Vincent Cassel has taken on the role of a historical figure for the Emperor of Paris: Vidoq. Although there was talk of shooting in Prague for budget reasons, Jean-François Richet ‘s feature film was actually shot in the Paris region. To tell the Vidoq story, a large open-air studio was set up on the former Air Force Base 217, literally recreating the Paris of 1840. The result is breathtaking.
3° Amélie’s fantasy Paris in “Le Fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain” (The Fabulous destiny of Amélie Poulain)
How could we dedicate an article to the finest films shot in Paris without mentioning that classic of the seventh art: Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain (The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain). With 8.6 million admissions at the box office, 13 Césars and 5 Oscars, 18 years on, the feature film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet continues to fascinate. In a phantasmagorical Paris, the modern heroine played by Audrey Tautou seems, again and again, to immerse us in the heart of a contemporary fable. Once we’ve learned a few moral lessons, we love rediscovering the film’s legendary locations, such as the Collignon grocery store, the Abesses metro station, the Café des 2 Moulins, the Place du Tertre and the Canal Saint-Martin , where our protagonist loves to ricochet. With Amélie, we love to rediscover again and again a Paris delightfully imbued with poetry…
4° A Paris where life isn’t always rosy with “La Vie en Rose
Bafta, César and Oscar for Best Actress: Marion Cotillard took top honors for her poignant interpretation of Edith Piaf in “La Môme”. Shot between Paris, Los Angeles and Prague, this French masterpiece follows in the footsteps of Môme Piaf, in a Paris where life is not always rosy. The story of the frail, black-robed icon with the moving voice takes us back to the Paris of the 50s. To be seen again and again.
5° Paris in the 19th century for the incredible destiny of the clown “Chocolat
From circus to theater, from anonymity to fame, discover the incredible destiny of Chocolat, the first black artist on the French stage, wonderfully played by Omar Sy. The original duo he forms with Footit is a huge hit in Belle Epoque Paris, before fame, easy money, gambling and discrimination wear down their friendship and Chocolat’s career. From laughter to tears, Roschdy Zem ‘s film immerses us in 19th-century Paris, as we discover the true story – sometimes a little romanticized – of Chocolat. And when you know that the film was shot in Paris, you can’t get enough of this beautiful, emotionally-charged movie.
6° “Ratatouille”: the capital’s 1st taste rat!
Did you know that for Ratatouille, the Pixar team captured no fewer than 4,500 shots of the capital for reference? To do this, they have not hesitated to go into the sewers of Paris, to the banks of the Canal-Saint-Martin, to the top of the Samaritaine or the Eiffel Tower, and even to the streets of the capital by motorcycle. This totally unique and memorable event You’ve all heard of it: the splendid animated film Ratatouille, recounting the whimsical adventures of Remy as he realizes his dream of becoming the first taste rat… No matter how old we are, we can’t get enough of Ratatouille!
7° The magic of a Christmas tale set in 1930s Paris with Scorsese’s “Hugo Cabret”!
In 1930s Paris, Hugo, an orphan just twelve years old, lives in a train station. In 2011, with Hugo Cabret, the great Martin Scorsese signed the great Christmas film of the year, taking us to a dreamy Paris. While part of the filming took place in London, it was also shot in Paris. For the purposes of the film, parts of the Sorbonne and the Sainte-Geneviève library in Paris’s 5th arrondissement were redecorated in 1930s style for the occasion. The same goes for Square Louis-Jouvet and Place Edouard VII, in the capital’s 9th arrondissement. Ready to ditch the darkness for the magic of a Christmas tale?
8° “Une sirène à Paris” the French romantic comedy by Mathias Malzieu
When the flooding Seine deposits Lula at the foot of the Flowerburger, the barge-cabaret where Gaspard sings, it’s a mini-tsunami that turns their lives upside down. He, the man who has suffered from loving too much, and she, the creature who has never known love, will get to know each other. And to sing with one voice… For director Mathias Malzieu, the 2016 flood in Paris was the trigger for his cinematic inspiration. In this Paris, where fish and ducks have washed up on the banks of the Seine, a magnified landscape has appeared to him. And what better backdrops for this French romantic comedy than the streets of the capital, the Trocadero or the Paris Aquarium? A thing of beauty!
9° À la mode de Paris with “Coco avant Chanel” (Coco before Chanel)
She is the embodiment of the modern woman: Coco Chanel. Ambivalent, resolutely modern, the mistress of simple, elegant fashion, the woman who gave her name to the famous Maison de Haute Couture Chanel never ceases to fascinate. In Paris, Gabrielle Chanel can currently be seen at the Palais Galliera in a sublime retrospective exhibition, while the cinema has of course dedicated the feature film “Coco avant Chanel” to her. In Anne Fontaine’s feature film, we discover the Paris of the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, following in the footsteps of the woman who revolutionized French fashion, wonderfully played by Audrey Tautou.
10° Montmartre, cabaret and French Cancan with “Moulin Rouge”
At the end of the 19th century, in the Paris of the Belle Epoque, Christian, a penniless young poet, settles in the Montmartre district and discovers a world of sex, drugs and the French cancan, rebelling against this decadent milieu by leading a bohemian life. Presented at the opening of the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, the story of the famous Parisian cabaret has inspired filmmakers in the most beautiful way possible! In this magnified Paris, we can’t get enough of the splendid performance of Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, passionately in love with each other in a Ville Lumières that has never seemed to live up to its name… “Creole Lady Marmaladeeeee!
11° Paris: “Yves Saint-Laurent” 60s fashion
Paris, 1957. At just 21, Yves Saint Laurent was called upon to take charge of the prestigious haute couture house founded by the recently deceased Christian Dior. At his first triumphant fashion show, he met Pierre Bergé, an encounter that changed his life forever. Lovers and business partners, the two men joined forces three years later to create the Yves Saint Laurent company. Despite his obsessions and inner demons, Yves Saint Laurent was about to revolutionize the world of fashion with his modern, iconoclastic approach.
12° Eiffel Tower under construction, dancing at the Paris Opera: 1879 Paris wonderfully recreated with Ballerina
Félicie is a young Breton orphan with just one passion: dance. With his best friend Victor, who would like to become a great inventor, they devise a crazy plan to escape from the orphanage, heading for Paris, the City of Light and its Eiffel Tower under construction! Félicie will have to fight like never before, surpassing herself and learning from her mistakes to realize her wildest dream: to become a prima ballerina at the Paris Opera. .. In this fabulous 2016 animated film, the Paris of 1879 has been recreated with meticulous attention to detail. Paintings, engravings, literature… A titanic task was carried out to recreate the Parisian settings. The result is magnificent.
13° Notre-Dame de Paris intact in Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Let’s go back a little further, to 1996, to discover Disney’s lovely animated film “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”. In the year of grace 1482 in Paris, Quasimodo, a young counterfeit orphan, is the bellringer of Notre-Dame. He lives as a recluse in the bell tower under the iron rule of the powerful Judge Frollo, his master. His only friends are the gargoyles La Rocaille, La Muraille and La Voliere. Quasimodo dreams of living free among all those he’s been watching for so long. This long-awaited moment arrives on the Feast of Fools and, disobeying Frollo, he mingles with the people who have come to celebrate the New Year… With The Hunchback of Notre Dame, it’s a pleasure to rediscover an intact cathedral, a magnified Paris and a little piece of history sprinkled with jubilant childish regression…
14° Tom Hanks at the Louvre in “Da Vinci Code”
One night, Professor Robert Langdon, an eminent specialist in the study of symbols, is urgently called to the Louvre: the museum’s curator has been murdered, but before he died, he left behind some mysterious symbols… With the help of cryptologist Sophie Neveu, Langdon investigates and discovers signs hidden in Leonardo da Vinci’s works. From Paris to London, then to Scotland, Langdon and Sophie will do everything in their power to decipher the code and get closer to the secrets that challenge the very foundations of humanity… As a little anecdote, the French government exceptionally authorized the film crew to shoot inside the famous Louvre Museum… Exhilarating!
15° Tribute to the city devastated by the 2015 attacks with “Mission Impossible Fall Out” starring Tom Cruise!
As you no doubt already know, a large part of the filming for Mission Impossible Fallout took place in Paris. From the Arc de Triomphe to the Trocadéro, via the Grand Palais, the Avenue de l’Opéra, the gardens of the Palais Royal and the quays of the Seine, these iconic sites are instantly recognizable. Christopher McQuarrie’s goal? Paying tribute to the city devastated by the attacks of November 13, 2015. Even today, we can’t get enough of Tom Cruise’s (so very possible) Missions Impossibles in the Capital!
16° France under occupation in 1940 in Inglorious Basterds
In occupied France in 1940, Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the execution of her family by Nazi Colonel Hans Landa. Shosanna narrowly escapes to Paris, where she builds a new identity by running a movie theater. Since the plot of Inglorious Basterds is set in Paris, it was only logical that Quentin Tarentino should shoot a few scenes there. He set up his cameras in the 18th arrondissement, at the Bistrot de la Renaissance.
17° “Les aventures d’Adèle Blanc Sec” in the capital
Luc Besson’s adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec take us back to the Paris of 1912. Place Colette, Pont des Arts, Pont Neuf, rue de Rivoli, Museum d’Histoire Naturelle, Gare d’Austerlitz or Gare Saint-Lazare… So many Parisian places to discover or rediscover between two Egyptian twists and turns…
BONUS : Small Parisian scenes
18° Léo in Paris in “Inception
For the adventure film Inception, starring Leonardo Di Caprio, we’re delighted to welcome back a number of cult Parisian locations, including the Pont Bir-Hakeim and the famous Café de Bussy.
19° Lou’s nostalgic Paris in “Avant toi
Get your tissues ready! In the romantic drama “Avant toi” (Before You), while the story is set in England, we’re pleased to discover some pretty little Parisian scenes. We see “Lou”, the character played to perfection by the beautiful Emilia Clarke, seated at “Paul ” restaurant , a veritable Parisian institution on the Place Dauphine or the famous Pont Neuf…
20° Amour retrouvé à Paris in “One Day” with Jim Sturgess & Anne Hathaway
Emma and Dexter spend the night together after their graduation party and decide…to stay friends. He’s carefree and frivolous, she’s full of complexes. For 20 years, Dexter and Emma have adored each other, separated, hated each other, missed each other… will they finally understand that they’re never happier than when they’re together? We won’t spoil the ending of this modern love story, but several scenes take place in Paris, not far from the Canal Saint-Martin… We loved it!