Credit: Far Out / UGC Fox Distribution
There is no greater pleasure for a movie-lover than visiting the locations featured in one of their favourite movies, and it could be somewhere that, on the surface, looks incredibly mundane and uninteresting, but if it’s got cinematic history woven into its DNA, then it can practically have the same appeal as visiting something like the Eiffel Tower.
Never underestimate how much a piss-covered alley in Brighton can mean to someone, because I saw how excited my Quadrophenia-loving friend got when we stood among the graffiti, ignoring what was definitely a pile of human shit. And don’t get me started on how ecstatic I was to be eating a very standard pub meal in the exact building that served as a meeting place for Lizzie and Darcy in the superior Pride and Prejudice adaptation from 1995.
But sometimes, a filming location is different, utterly transportive, becoming a proper tourist attraction in and of itself, which is the case for the Café des Deux Moulins in Montmartre that plays a significant role in the 2001 movie Amélie, a whimsical testament to life’s small joys and the importance of love in all of its many forms.
We follow the young, shy waitress Amélie who works at the Café des Deux Moulins as she decides to do good for others after reuniting a man with his childhood memory box, playing matchmaker, getting revenge on the mean greengrocer, and befriending her fragile, elderly neighbour, but soon, she comes to learn that she must also allow love into her own life, subsequently embarking on a cat-and-mouse game with the object of her affection, Nino.
We frequently see her at her workplace, where a fascinating cast of characters hang out, like the hypochondriac Georgette and the aspiring writer Hipolito, and it’s here that she eventually lures Nino, although she suddenly feels too scared to approach him, brave only when it involves putting others’ lives over hers.
This colourful café, located at 15 Rue Lepic in Montmartre, is still a functioning spot and a must-visit for all fans of the film, where, once you step inside, it’s like you’ve walked right into the movie, with even a big image of Audrey Tautou as Amélie on the very glass where the iconic scene takes place, in which she tries to hide from Nino.
Here, you can order a few items specifically in tribute to the movie, like crème brulée, which Amélie of course loves to crack with a spoon, and you can also order raspberries and cream, which, if you really feel like it, you’ll even eat them off each individual finger like little Amélie does in the opening credits.
The café can be found near other iconic Parisian landmarks, like the Moulin de la Galette and Moulin Rouge, hence its name, while other filming locations from the movie are also within walking distance, such as, over on the rue des Trois-Frères, you can find Au Marché de la Butte, which served as Monsieur Collignon’s in the film, and there’s actually a sign above the shop today that reads his name.
With its cobbled streets, historical buildings, metro stations, and cafés all forming a cinematic backdrop for the character’s journey from loneliness to love, Paris is a central character in the world of Amélie, painted in greens and reds, where director Jean-Pierre Jeunet presents us with a nostalgic vision of the city that you can’t help but fall for, so a trip to the Café des Deux Moulins is the best way to immerse yourself in Amélie’s perfect world.
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