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Paris: Movies Part of the Places of a Lifetime series from Traveler magazine

Some say cinema was invented here, so it's only natural that the city itself should have a memorable career on the screen. These movies and television programs capture the atmosphere of the city.

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À Bout de Souffle (1961)
Jean-Luc Godard's stylish crime thriller, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, was a defining work of the French New Wave.

An American in Paris (1951)
And who ever appreciated this city better than the Americans? Gene Kelly's spectacular closing dance number set to Gershwin's music still makes the French just a little more proud to be French.

Les Enfants du Paradis (1945)
Marcel Carné classic, made at colossal expense in the middle of war and occupation, recounts the life and loves of the denizens of Paris's old theater district along the Boulevard du Temple in the 1840s. Screenplay by Jacques Prévert.

Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)
The whimsical romantic comedy by Jean-Pierre Jeunet starring Audrey Tautou that made everyone fall in love with Paris yet again.

La Haine (1995)
A side of Paris perhaps never seen on screen before: this is a gripping and intense tale of young men in one of the city's turbulent suburban ghettos.

Hôtel du Nord (1938)
A tremendously atmospheric tale of love and bullets. (The hotel of title still stands as a restaurant, near the Canal Saint Martin.)

Paris, Je T'Aime (2006)
A tribute to the city and its people in 20 vignettes, with an international cast of famous names and directors that range from Gérard Depardieu to Wes Craven to the Coen brothers.

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Know Before You Go: Paris

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