The first wisps of smoke, the alarm slow to register the danger, then a race against the flames to save eight centuries of history: Notre-Dame brûle reconstructs the blaze that struck Paris’s cathedral on April 15, 2019. Jean-Jacques Annaud’s film will air on TF1 on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 9:10 p.m.
Notre-Dame on Fire
Film | 2022
Broadcast on TF1 : Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Drama, disaster film | Runtime: 1h50
Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud | Starring Samuel Labarthe, Jean-Paul Bordes, Mikaël Chirinian, Jules Sadoughi and Chloé Jouannet
Theatrical release: March 16, 2022
Countries: France, Italy
On April 15, 2019, just minutes after Notre-Dame de Paris was closed to the public, a blaze erupts beneath the cathedral’s roof. The fire rapidly spreads through the medieval framework as responders work to pinpoint the alarm’s origin, navigate the difficult interior, and protect the artworks housed inside.
Jean-Jacques Annaud tracks the disaster almost hour by hour. The film shifts from the forecourt to the towers, from the barracks to the command center, and from Paris’s blocked streets to the most exposed parts of the monument. Amid the flames, firefighters are notably trying to prevent the collapse of the north belfry, which could have caused far greater damage to the cathedral.
Notre-Dame brûle does not hinge on a lone hero. Samuel Labarthe and Jean-Paul Bordes play the officers coordinating the response, while Jules Sadoughi, Chloé Jouannet, Vassili Schneider and Pierre Lottin bring to life the firefighters on the ground. The film also shines a light on the effort to save relics and liturgical objects endangered by the blaze.
The director of The Name of the Rose and The Bear blends reconstruction, visual effects and footage shot on the night of the catastrophe. Several French cathedrals were used as backdrops to recreate the different spaces of Notre-Dame, then inaccessible to the crew during filming. This precise visual work enhances the film’s immersive quality, which remains first and foremost a historical drama fashioned as a catastrophe narrative.
The screenplay, written by Jean-Jacques Annaud and Thomas Bidegain, leans as much on the split-second decisions made in the heat of the moment as on the tangible hurdles faced by rescuers: traffic jams, hard-to-reach areas, the pressure of the rising water, and the unpredictable spread of the flames. The film notably won the César for Best Visual Effects in 2023.
Notre-Dame brûle may appeal to viewers who are fond of Notre-Dame de Paris, to historical films, and to stories focused on rescue operations. The tension stays high, and the footage of the cathedral in flames can be unsettling for children or for those especially sensitive to the event.
The trailer charts the fire’s progression, from the first alert to the collapse of the spire, while depicting firefighters inside the cathedral battling to contain the flames.
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