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 plenty of neighborhoods to explore.
The visit begins within the walls of Panthéon-Sorbonne University, where Dom Cobb meets Ariane. The former is visiting his father (played by Michael Caine), and the latter is his father's student. It's worth noting that Nolan chose to shoot at the real university, rather than recreate the setting in a studio.
Afterwards, Dom and Ariane have a coffee, to get to know each other... 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 Haussmann buildings in the neighborhood.
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 formidable view of the Eiffel Tower. For the occasion, the bridge has been transformed into an infinite mirror, before Ariane's incredulous eyes.
And now you have a precise itinerary for walking in the footsteps of the Inception shoot, for which no studio or CGI reconstructions were used - quite a feat!
On the trail of film shoots in Paris: discover cult locations
Where were Amélie Poulain, Inception or Emily in Paris filmed? Discover the iconic filming locations to explore in Paris. [Read more]
On the trail of film shoots in Paris: discover cult locations
