Notre-Dame on Fire

Notre-Dame on Fire takes you into the heat and smoke of the 2019 blaze at Paris's famous cathedral, viewed through the people closest to the danger. The film blends drama and documentary, moving between the firefighting crews on the roof and the operations rooms where leaders weigh options in real time. It heightens the tension as minutes tick by and valuables inside the building become witnesses to careful, high stakes decisions. The storytelling stays focused on ordinary courage and the realities of saving a national symbol, avoiding sensationalism. The result is a grounded, human portrait of a moment that captured the world.

Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and produced with involvement from Thomas Bidegain, the film draws on real events and testimonies surrounding the Notre Dame fire. Released in 2022, it aims to present a faithful, unsensational account rather than pure fiction.

Critics have described the film as a measured chronicle that emphasizes the people behind the scenes rather than spectacle. It probes leadership under pressure, teamwork amid danger, and the fragility of a landmark, while underscoring resilience in the face of collective danger.