The Paris Olympic Games were officially opened this Friday, July 26, 2024, with a spectacular and unexpected opening ceremony that paid tribute to French culture, history and great Men and Women. In fact, the ceremony kicked off with two popular and unmissable personalities: Jamel Debbouze, who passed the baton of the Olympic flame to Zinédine Zidane.
What follows is a colorful, humorous and cinematic sequence through the streets of Paris, strongly reminiscent of Louis Malle's film Zazie dans le métro, adapted from the novel by Raymond Queneau. With Olympic flame in hand, the former footballer races through the city to bring the flame to the ceremony. Unluckily, the metro he was riding in broke down. So he had to pass the baton to the younger generation.
Many Parisians will tell you that a broken-down metro is nothing out of the ordinary... Yes, but this particular metro isn't like the others. This sequence was shot at the Station Cinéma, located at Porte des Lilas. This very special metro station is used as a set and shooting location for films, music videos and commercials throughout the year.
The Cinema Station: when RATP and the 7th art meet at the Porte des Lilas
This ghostly station located at Porte des Lilas, in Paris, could have a place at the Cannes Film Festival: countless films, commercials and video clips have been shot there, just a stone's throw from the metro passengers. Discover the Cinema Station, the most mysterious and magical place of the RATP. [Read more]
In a post published on X (formerly Twitter), Jimmy Brun, spokesman for the RATP group, finally lifts the secret and reveals that the scene was orchestrated and shot in the spring of 2024 in Paris. We also learn from this tweet that Zidane had never taken the Paris metro before this shoot!
The Station cinéma is not open to the public... Except during the Heritage Days. On September 21 and 22, take advantage of this event to discover it, and walk in the footsteps of Zinédine Zidane, but also those of Sophie Marceau, Meryl Streep, Dany Boon, André Dussollier, Keanu Reeves, Audrey Tautou... Paris still holds many secrets!
Discover one of the most famous film sets in Paris, by visiting Station Cinéma, the metro station dedicated to film and commercial shoots in Paris. Join us on September 21 and 22, 2024 during the Journées du Patrimoine to visit this secret RATP location. [Read more]
The Cinema Station: when RATP and the 7th art meet at the Porte des Lilas
