You'll remember that in Inception, one of Christopher Nolan's most cult films, an entire sequence takes place in Paris. It's the moment when Dom Cobb(Leonardo DiCaprio) picks up Ariane(Elliot Page) to bring her back to his team. The latter is a student in Paris, and their meeting allowsOppenheimer 's director to film the French capital in many real-life settings. If you'd like to follow in the footsteps of the stars ofInception, there are several neighborhoods to explore.
The tour begins within the walls of the Panthéon-Sorbonne University, where Dom Cobb meets Ariane. The former has come to visit his father (played by Michael Caine), and the latter is the latter's student. It's notable that Nolan chose to shoot in the real university, rather than recreate the studio setting.
Next, Dom and Ariane meet for coffee in a typical Parisian brasserie. Again, a real-life setting, the film's "Café Debussy" is located at the corner of rue César Franck and rue Bouchut, in the 15th arrondissement. Today, it's home to the Italian restaurant Il Russo. It's in this café that the character played by Elliot Page realizes that she's in a dream, and that she can topple the neighborhood's Haussmann buildings.
Finally, when she realizes she's in a dream, Ariane flees a few steps away to the Pont de Bir-Hakeim, the bridge favored by newlyweds for its stunning view of the Eiffel Tower. For the occasion, the bridge was transformed into an infinite mirror, as Ariane looked on in disbelief.
And now you have a clear itinerary for walking in the footsteps of the Inception shoot, for which no studio or CGI reconstructions were used - a real feat!
Filming locations in Paris: follow in the footsteps of your favorite stars
Paris is an inexhaustible movie set for filmmakers the world over. Discover where cult films and the latest releases set in the French capital were shot. [Read more]
Dates and Opening Time
From August 27th, 2023 to December 31th, 2027
Prices
Free
Filming locations in Paris: follow in the footsteps of your favorite stars
