Today, one out of two French movies is shot in Ile-de-France. Movie makers from all continents come here to find inspiration in the typical Parisian visual and human wealths to make movies of new dimensions: short movies or blockbusters, romantic comedies or detective movies, dramas or animated movies.
Go on a movie tour along the Canal de l’Ourcq that will start at the Bassin de La Villette (Jaurès metro station) to Ciné 104 (Eglise de Pantin metro station). This walking tour (more or less 4h) will teach you about the rich history of the cinema industry in Paris's North-East. You will discover projection movies, a cinema school, numerous shooting places etc.
MK2 Quai de Loire and MK2 Quai de Seine has 12 movie theaters and 2,076 seats in total. They are located opposite to each other, separated by the Bassin de La Villette.
You will start the tour by discovering the facade of the MK2 Quai de Seine cinema where 31 famous quotations from movies chosen by Martin Karmitz have been tagged by the graphic designer Claude Maggiori. Marin Karmitz is a French exhibitor, distributor, producer and movie director who founded the MK2 firm specialized in independent cinema, or “auteur cinema”.
You can access the two biggest movie theaters by the level below, or by the upper level to access the other ones. All movie theaters are accessible for persons with disability.
The French Cinema Academy (Conservatoire Libre du Cinéma Français – CLCF) created in 1963 and supported by Marcel Carné is the oldest private cinema school in Europe and provides courses for assistant film directors, script writers and film editors. Since its creation, CLCF trained movie makers from 104 different countries. It is a three-year program, but each student can enroll the first, second or third year through parallel admission process.
Located at the Porte de La Villette in Paris, the Géode is a unique architectural work designed by the architect Fabien Fainsilber. Part of the most admired buildings in Paris, it has a worldwide reputation. This sphere made of steel and inaugurated on May 6th 1985 is an exceptional movie theater made for large screen format movies. The Cinema barge (Péniche Cinéma) is only a few steps away…
Starting from the Géode, you can follow the walk trail along the Canal de l’Ourcq to get to Pantin, where the former Grands Moulins are located. The Grands Moulins are part of the urban infrastructures from the 19th century devoted to provide flour to the capital city thanks to the Brie and Beauce plains. This 8-floor industrial flourmill including 24 millstones was created in Pantin in 1884, along the Canal de l’Ourcq and eastern rail tracks, by the Mills Society Abel Leblanc.
Created in 1998 by the Culture and Communication Ministry, the National Dance Center settled in 2004 in a former administrative building, an imposing structure designed by Jacques Kalisz. It now has movable and lit up large spaces. The two architects Antoinette Robain and Claire Guieyse (Equerre d’Argent award winners in January 2005) are in charge of the renovation of the concrete building.
Ciné 104 settled in Pantin more than 20 years ago. The goal of this cinema, classified as Art et Essai, is to promote independent movies. Every movie genres from diverse nationalities are showed in the small cinema.
