Have you ever taken the metro at Porte des Lilas, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris? It is possible that, during your journey, you found yourself a few meters away from the biggest movie stars , without knowing it... Indeed, at the intersection of lines 3 bis and 11 is a ghost metro station, used for filming. This cinema station is an open secret, a well known place but not accessible to ordinary travelers.
Opened in 1921, this underground station was quickly abandoned: the project for a junction between line 7 and line 3 (this sector would later become line 3bis) was never built. This station does not appear on any map intended for metro passengers. And yet, it is constantly in activity! Film shoots , music videos or commercials are constantly taking place at the Cinema Station: every week or so, this station at Porte des Lilas is booked for film shoots.
It is probably one of the most famous stations of the cinema, although it sometimes seems unrecognizable. However, the trained eyes of movie lovers or RATP-philes end up recognizing it: it is the setting for the movie Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Santa & Cie by Alain Chabat, Les Femmes de l'ombre, Julie et Julia, Supercondriaque...
Inaccessible to the public, this station welcomes visitors often used to the red carpet. When necessary, and thanks to the magic of the cinema and the work of the decorators, the Porte des Lilas is transformed and takes the name of any other station in the RATP network. " It is often used when a scene requires a lot of extras, when we need to control the arrival and departure of the metro..." explains Karine Lehongre-Richard, head of filming at RATP.
Indeed, this station has an independent train, which can run for one kilometer without clogging up the classic network. This train can be replaced by the old RATP cars, for the needs of filming. The transport company keeps its historical models and maintains them in working order.
Line 6, with its aerial sections that offer a breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower , is often used for filming, as is the small line 3 bis, which allows for a loop on the network, and therefore for filming the passage of stations. Filming can also be organized at night or during off-peak hours.
However, the cinema station is still the preferred location for most of the filming in the metro: " We can control everything, from the lighting to the sets and the train traffic. This gives us a lot of freedom," says Karine Lehongre-Richard.
Between each shoot, the Cinema Station seems frozen in time. The advertising panels are empty, colored green. The platforms are empty, the benches and maps of the network displayed date from several years ago, even the noise and bustle of lines 11 and 3 bis are muffled.
This setting, so commonplace, so present in the daily life of many Parisians, is also represented in the cinema. It has welcomed the greatest actors and directors of the 7th art, and has become as symbolic of Parisian life as croissants or apartments with a view of the Eiffel Tower (well, when you live in the world ofEmily in Paris).
This station with such an incredible history is not open to the public. It is sometimes possible to visit it , when the RATP decides to put it forward, during the Heritage Days. During the next edition of these days, you may be able to walk in the footsteps of Jean-Paul Belmondo, Tom Cruise, Isabelle Adjani, Robert de Niro, Sophie Marceau...
So, what is your favorite film shot at the Porte des Lilas?
@sortiraparis.com Which movies do you think were shot in this metro ? #sortiraparis #paris #metroparisien #parisinsolite #insoliteparis #tiktokacademie #cannes2022 #cinemaparis #pariscinema #tournageparis ♬ original sound - Sortiraparis
