French director revisits catastrophic Notre Dame Cathedral fire

Notre-Dame on Fire, a disaster movie under the helm of prestigious French director Jean-Jacques Annaud, held a premiere in downtown Beijing on April 6.

Based on the true story about the catastrophic fire that engulfed the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15, 2019, the movie combines dramatic reconstruction, genuine news coverage and artistic expression to revisit the disastrous moment four year ago, which caused a huge loss to human civilization.

During the premiere, Annaud said the Notre Dame Cathedral has been a significant spiritual symbol for him for decades, from his childhood to the college years. The 79-year-old director also mentioned that he was living near the Notre Dame Cathedral when the fire occurred. After the fire was extinguished, he returned home and found ashes on his balcony, which was a poignant reminder of the devastation that had taken place.

Also known for the Sino-French coproduction Wolf Totem, Annaud said that he has missed China in the past three years and felt delighted to return to the country.

Some Chinese celebrities, such as actor Feng Shaofeng, ethnic Mongolian director Wuershan and director Zhao Xiaoding, also attended the premiere.

The movie opened across the Chinese mainland on April 7.