The Canadians behind the TV movie “Un Noël à Paris” thought they could fool everyone, but they didn’t count on the people of Lyon. We tell you how this film, released in 2019, tried to pass off the capital of the Gones as the capital of France.
The pitch is simple: Lucas, a wealthy French entrepreneur, travels to Montana for work. But when he gets there, he meets Robin, falls in love and takes her on a Christmas adventure to Paris. The only problem is that, when we follow the two characters on their Parisian adventure , we find among the scenes filmed in Paris several passages with iconic Lyon locations as backdrops. The reality behind this change of scenery is that the terrible fire at Notre-Dame de Paris took place just before filming, forcing the film crew to change location. And if they had to come to Lyon to film a fake Notre-Dame, they might as well use the opportunity to shoot other scenes.
This is how a stroll along the banks of the Rhône turns into a romantic sequence along the banks of the Seine, the iconic Cathédrale Saint-Jean in Vieux Lyon acts as Notre-Dame de Paris, Café 203 is transformed into a Parisian terrace, or scenes of country walks take place in the botanical gardens of Parc de la Tête d’Or.
And to avoid this kind of incident, why not replace the images of a Christmas film with the sweetness of the most beautiful Christmas melodies at a concert paying tribute to the best soundtracks of the period?
Watch the film
We don’t blame our Canadian friends for confusing the City of Lights with the City of Light, and we suggest you watch “Un Noël à Paris” for a guaranteed good time, trying to spot the different places.