Paris is synonymous with fine dining experiences, chic fashion, inspiring museums, beautiful architecture, and... glamorous cinema. From Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902) to Titane (2021), the City of Lights has always been connected to some of the most important cinema movements in history. Paris has this unique romantic atmosphere and it’s almost impossible to detach the city from the directors, the acting or the stories. Incredibly alluring and infinitely poetic, French cinema is about tradition and, at the same time, pushing this art forward.
ASCENSEUR POUR L’ÉCHAFAUD From the contrasting black and white photography to the improvised score by Miles Davis and the noir suspense all around, Ascenseur pour l’échafaud is one of those movies that can teach you so much about cinema as the quintessential art of modern times. A masterpiece that becomes even better with the performance by Jeanne Moreau.
À BOUT DE SOUFFLE Jean-Luc Godard is probably the ultimate enfant terrible of French cinema. Known for ignoring conventional rules of editing, the influential À Bout de Souffle changed cinema forever. It makes use of elements from both Hollywood romanticism and the everyday banal life, and it’s this dialogue that makes the movie so good.
BELLE DE JOUR Starring Catherine Deneuve, Belle de Jour introduced us to the “troubled but fascinating French woman” stereotype. On the other hand, Luis Buñuel constantly blurs the line between what is real and what is not. Although there is no explicit sex in the movie, Belle du Jour will always be remembered as the utmost erotic film of contemporary society.
