In the footsteps of Inception: where in Paris was Nolan's film shot?

Published by Nathanaël de Sortiraparis · Published on August 28, 2023 at 01:13 p.m.
With Oppenheimer becoming one of the biggest box-office successes of Christopher Nolan's career, we take a look back at one of his best-known films, Inception, and the neighborhoods where it was shot in Paris.

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.

Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?

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.

Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?

Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?

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.

Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?Sur les traces d'Inception : dans quels quartiers de Paris a été tourné le film de Nolan ?

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!

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