Since the introduction of the motion picture as an artistic medium, Paris has been continually captured on film. Cinemacity, a new website and app, tells you exactly where iconic film scenes that take place in Paris were shot.

As Messy Nessy Chic showed, the platform allows you to search for films by name, director, neighborhood, etc. The site will then display where the Paris scenes were shot on a map, and the clips will be available for viewing below the map. If you’re actually in Paris, use the smartphone app for additional features. For instance, embark on Cinewalks, which are walking tours of different areas of the city structured around film locations. Whenever you approach a filming site, the clip will be available for you to view so that you can visualize the scene right as you walk past the location. 

These scene below are from Inception, a movie we previously showed where the film was shot in Paris, such as the Bir Hakeim Bridge and the c

The app also offers something more than a simple geo-location tool, especially for aspiring filmmakers. First, the app produces original content in the form of a short miniseries called “Fictionwalks” that take place in specific neighborhoods. Each series is comprised of five episodes, two minutes each. A few “Fictionwalks” have been produced already, but the app is looking to make at least three more by the end of the year. They have issued a call for ideas from all filmmakers in the area.

The app is also looking for user submissions of “sweded” films, an idea introduced in the 2008 film Be Kind Rewind. “Sweded” refers to amateur, informal, and often parodic “remakes.” The best of these will be made available for all app users to watch.

Although the app seems very Paris-centric now, the developers hope to launch it in Berlin, New York, Rome, and Tokyo as well, so hopefully you’ll soon be able to explore the many film locations of a city near you!

Get in touch with the author @YiinYangYale.