Films shot in Lyon

Want to explore the city from a different perspective than a simple stroll on Google Street View? Luckily, cinema comes to our rescue by showing us the capital of Gaul in a new light. Here are some cinematic gems that place Lyon at the heart of their plot.

19th century

Factory exit

The French film entitled "La Sortie de l'usine Lumière à Lyon" was directed by Louis Lumière and was released in 1895. There are at least three versions of this film, one of which was selected from among the ten productions screened at the Salon Indien at the Grand Café in Paris from December 28, 1895.

Snowball Fight

Snowball Fight is a French short film in black and white directed by Louis Lumière, released in 1897. About twenty people engage in a snowball fight in a street in Lyon. As a bicycle approaches, the different groups of people concentrate on throwing snowballs.

20th century

The Army of Shadows

Hailed as the most remarkable film about the resistance ever made, “Army of Shadows” was shot in Paris and Lyon. Under the direction of Jean-Pierre Melville, the film aimed to present an uncompromising account of the resistance, moving away from the national historical narrative. The story follows Gerbier, played by Lino Ventura, who takes refuge in Lyon after leaving Paris. Within his resistance network, several members are apprehended. In Vieux-Lyon, at the Café du Soleil on the Place de la Trinité, Mathilde (played by Simone Signoret) searches for a plan to help them escape from the Gestapo headquarters, located at the École de santé militaire where some scenes were also filmed.

The Watchmaker of Saint-Paul

In this 1974 drama film, directed by Bertrand Tavernier, a detective story serves as the backdrop for a remarkable immersion in the streets of Lyon, alongside actors Philippe Noiret and Jean Rochefort. Originally from Lyon, the director sublimates his hometown by guiding us through its damp streets, secret passages, and famous traboules. Lyon's culinary tradition also takes center stage, with numerous meal scenes highlighting iconic dishes such as cervelles de canuts, aprons de sapeurs, and beef salads. A true visual treat!

Lucie Aubrac

In Lyon, in March 1943, Raymond Samuel (known as Aubrac in the underground) and his wife Lucie are active in the resistance. On June 21, Raymond is captured, as is Jean Moulin. Seized by an intense romantic passion, Lucie is determined to do everything, to undertake all means, to free her husband from the clutches of the Gestapo. She then gets involved in actions mixing romanticism and violence, seeming to come straight from the imagination of the most inventive of writers. However, the film is based on the true story of Lucie Aubrac.

A matter of taste

The plot of this film is told to the viewer through flashbacks: the present focuses on a police investigation into the murder of Frédéric, as well as the psychological questions of the doctors taking care of Nicolas after his act. Monuments of Lyon appear in the film:

  • The funicular linking Saint-Jean to Fourvière.
  • The Part-Dieu tower.
  • The banks of the Rhone 

21st century

Blood Ties

Set in Lyon in the late 1970s, François, a police inspector, is faced with the release of his brother, Gabriel, who has just been released from prison after serving a ten-year sentence for murder. The reunion between the policeman and his elder brother is fraught with difficulty, but both men share a desire to leave their tumultuous past behind them. Gabriel yearns for redemption while François commits himself fully to helping him in this process.

Emotional Anonymous

In 2010, Benoît Poelvoorde and Isabelle Carré are the main actors of this sweet and moving film. Part of the decor, almost timeless, is located in Lyon. The Gare Saint-Paul is represented, the city having hosted the shooting for two weeks. The spectators also appreciate the film for its magnificent sequences shot in a chocolate factory, offering a real visual feast.

The Lyonnais

Growing up in poverty in a gypsy camp, Edmond VIDAL, known as MOMON, preserved family values, unwavering loyalty and pride in his roots. Above all, he maintained a strong friendship with Serge SUTTEL, his childhood friend with whom he experienced prison because of a stupid cherry theft. With Serge, he gradually got involved in Grand Banditism, reaching the top with the GANG DES LYONNAIS, the team they formed and which propelled them to the rank of the most renowned robbers of the early 70s.

For a woman

In the early 1980s, Anne and Tania are faced with the death of their mother. Delving into the writings, photos and memories left behind, Anne, a writer, sets out to discover and reconstruct her parents' early years of marriage. The film was shot during the summer of 2012 in and around Lyon, including the Auberge du Faisan Doré in Villefranche-sur-Saône, a waterfront guinguette, as well as Virieu, Fareins, and other locations. Street scenes were filmed at Place Sathonay, including Rue Sary and Rue Poivre in Lyon.

Alice and the Mayor

The mayor of Lyon, Paul Théraneau, is going through a difficult time. After three decades of political career, he feels completely drained of ideas. To overcome this problem, a decision is made: to associate with him a young and brilliant philosopher, Alice Heimann. This rapprochement initiates a dialogue that shakes their certainties and brings them closer together. The film takes place in various emblematic places such as the Parc de la Tête d'Or and the opera house. However, according to Sébastien Autret, production manager, the team was refused access to the Hôtel de Ville, under the pretext of renovations and because of the planned visit of the Crown Prince of Japan, as reported in a weekly newspaper.

This list is of course not exhaustive. There are of course other films that have chosen Lyon as a filming location, because the city offers varied and attractive settings for the film industry.

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