In the footsteps of “Paris, je t’aime”

We believe many of you dream of traveling to Paris. Or many of you have already been. Paris is one of these few cities in the world you can’t get tired of. Somehow, it doesn’t matter how much you explore it, there is always something new to discover or a place where you will feel a different atmosphere every time you visit.

Interpreting the charm of Paris is difficult and we won’t try to do so after all the famous writers and artists who have tried. Actually for us, the movie “Paris, je t’aime” is probably of one the best tributes to the city of Romance!

 

“Paris, je t’aime” is a  2-hour film consisting of 18 short films directed by 18 different people, shot in various districts of the French Capital. These little stories relate to almost all human emotions, but above all it gives a feeling about how Paris can make you feel like! Come follow-us along the best scenes and their shooting locations!

 

“Eiffel Tower” – I suddenly look back at the man but at the dim light

 

This beautiful scene follows the joys and sorrows of a mime clown who, taken to the police station on the grounds that he’s acting weird, actually meets his other half, an unexpected female mime! The two hit it off, and go back to the Eiffel tower area where it is said that since then, not another person ever stood alone under the iron lady. After many years, the film shows their mischievous children being encouraged by the smile of the clown parents. The children also inherited the parents’ rich imagination and the short movie ends on this happy note.

 

 

TIPS: This Eiffel Tower episode is definitely a tribute to one of Paris’ oldest traditions; the mime clowns, who specialize in making us laugh only by their gesture and body expression. They never use a word or make a sound. While the most famous undoubtedly was the Mime Marceau, you can still nowadays see a few of those street artists if you wonder around the Montmartre area!

 

Lachaise Cemetery – Woman’s Wilde Philosophy

 

The short movie depicts a couple visiting Paris for their engagement. For a romantic walk, they visit the Pere Lachaise cemetery however it quickly turns out that some dispute is coming between the two! Finding out that her fiancé has not a big sense of humor, the girl decides to leave him. The scene happens in front of Oscar Wilde’s tomb. Suddenly the ghost of Wilde appears and tells the man: “Go chase her, otherwise your heart will die.” The fiancé suddenly wakes up his dreams, and runs after the woman to get her back. This scene is a message to those not willing to admit that we all make mistakes or we don’t dare revealing our own intentions. Sometimes when you miss the moment, you can no longer grasp the opportunity when your feelings are gone.

 

 

TIPS: Today you can still walk freely in the Pere Lachaise cemetery or take an exciting guided tour, to spot some of Europe’s most famous personalities graveyards: writer Oscar Wilde, composer Frederic Chopin, writer Balzac or painter Delacroix. The silence of the park, the lonely walks along the green, long alleys will for sure make you feel the emotion of remembering such important figures of our History.

 

“Bastille Square” – the red trench Lady

 

 

 

A man married for many years waits for his wife at a coffee shop near Bastille. Feeling prepared to divorce his wife and tell her, he quickly renounces when his distressed wife announces that she has terminal  cancer. The man changes: he leaves his lover, decides to spend more time with his wife, whom he learns to love again. Gradually, he seems to be back in the heart of love. The movie shows how, after she passed, the man still remembers her whenever he sees a red trench coat lady passing on the street. With the symbol of the red trench coat, the movie brings us to reflect upon all the little signs in daily happenings that connect with our lives and memories.

 

 

TIPS: Bastille is still a popular neighborhood marking the junction between the hip Marais and the more residential 12th district. With many restaurants, bars and above all the national theatre, Bastille remains a great location for dating or for a night’s out with your beloved one.

 

Monceau Park – gentle love from parents

 

The scene shows a man and a woman walking along the streets and talking. The woman seems to be emotionally low and tells about her troubles, complaining about the shortcomings of men from time to time. The man also talks about someone who has altered their relationship. They hug, he wishes her a good life and they part, leaving the viewer hanging, wondering what their relation really is.. The story then reveals the truth: they are a father and a daughter. When you suddenly realize that, besides your parents, who will listen to you so unconditionally, help you, and carefully protect your mood?

 

 

TIPS: The Monceau park is actually one of our favorite romantic places in Paris: the park is small but very pretty and filled with delightful local atmosphere at any time of the day! A few minutes’ walk from the Opera and the department stores, it provides a great place to take a seat, watch the Parisians and relax. You may also check out the stunning bourgeois houses all around or head to the Jacquemart-Andre or the Nissim de Camondo museum next to it!

 

Fourteen District – a conversation with yourself

 

After talking about love, affection, here is the actual final scene of the movie and definitely our favorite one! We can see a woman who came to Paris to realize her travel dream. After seeing a lot of scenery, remembering a lot of the past, she finally sitts on the bench in a park. The setting sun gives her hair a golden glow and she looks in the distance, as if there was nothing to look at, slowly saying such a fine monologue:

“Sitting alone in a strange country, away from the people and work I am familiar with, I suddenly have a feeling, just like remembering something I never knew, or something I always waited for. But I can’t say what it is; it may be something I have forgotten, or something I have missed in my life. However, I feel it at the same time, joy and mourning, not so sad, because I feel myself The vitality. Yes, the feeling of being alive. From then on, I fell in love with Paris, and I feel that Paris has fallen in love with me.”

 

 

TIPS: And here ends the movie. Does any of you know where this simple yet very touching spot is? The scene is shot in the Montsouris Parc, deep in the 14th district south of Paris. Away from the tourist attractions and sights, it is probably in those remote, residential and “nothing-special-about” places that you will experience the real Parisian life, its people, cafes and shops!

 

Yes, this is the film that Paris shows us. Paris is definitely not only a beautiful side, but even in such a Paris full of imperfections, there are still many people, so love it so much. What a rich land that can carry such a deep love. The movie that I recommend to you today is not only for every one of you who has been here, but also for those who have never been to the city. I also hope that one day I will be able to take you to Paris and walk with the movie. Those places that appear in it, I don’t know what kind of state of mind you will be at that time?