Paris je t'aime

An atypical collective film celebrating love and the art of cinema, Paris je t'aime is composed of 18 five-minute shorts inspired by 18 Paris arrondissements, each the story of a romantic encounter. A host of top international filmmakers were attracted to the project, including Gus Van Sant, Walter Salles, the Coen brothers, Alfonso Cuaron, Olivier Assayas, Christopher Doyle and Tom Tykner, and the film's cast includes such famous names as Natalie Portman, Gena Rowlands, Elijah Wood, Ben Gazzara, Willem Dafoe, Steve Buscemi and Catherine Deneuve. In the words of producer Claudie Ossard, on the origin of the project: 'I was curious to see Paris through the eyes of foreign directors. We Parisians know the city all too well, and are blinded by force of habit to a lot of things going on around us. I was convinced that these filmmakers drawn from all four corners of the globe would make us look at Paris afresh.'