At first when you watch this video of an empty Paris, you might think to yourself that this could just be Paris in the early morning. But then you see large boulevards like the Champs-Élysées completely barren, and the Périphérique highway which circles Paris devoid of cars. Then there’s the Eiffel Tower and Champs de Mars empty. La Defense looms like an overbuilt patch, post apocalypse.

Using digital editing, Claire and Maxime from Menilmonde filmed timelapse photography and merged photos together to remove people and moving cars. The only thing remaining are pigeons, parked cars, and the eerie movements of advertisements and flashing neon signs. Even Paris Plage is shown, but just with the umbrellas! The producers raise the question, “Imagine if the action of man was more harmful to our fragile planet?”