Free Outdoor Screening of 'Diplomatie' at Paris City Hall for the 82nd Anniversary of the Liberation
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Free Outdoor Screening of 'Diplomatie' at Paris City Hall for the 82nd Anniversary of the Liberation
An open-air cinema session in the heart of Paris, with the Hôtel de Ville as its backdrop and history as its theme. On Tuesday 25 August 2026 at 9pm, Volker Schlöndorff's film Diplomatie (Diplomacy) will be screened on the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville — the Esplanade de la Libération, in the 4th arrondissement. This exceptional, free screening closes the day dedicated to the 82nd anniversary of the Liberation of Paris. The forecourt opens from 8:15pm, but it's best not to arrive at the last minute — seating is limited.

Released in 2014, Diplomatie takes us back to the night of 24–25 August 1944, as Paris is on the verge of being liberated. Schlöndorff's film pits Dietrich von Choltitz, the German military governor of Paris (played by Niels Arestrup), against Raoul Nordling, Sweden's consul general (played by André Dussollier). Adapted from Cyril Gély's play, this historical chamber piece imagines their confrontation as von Choltitz has received Hitler's order to destroy the capital, while Nordling tries to dissuade him. It's a fiction inspired by the exchanges that really took place between the two men in August 1944, freely reinterpreted for the screen.
The choice of film and venue is no coincidence. On 25 August 1944, the surrender of German forces in Paris marked the culmination of the fight to liberate the capital. 82 years later, to the day, Diplomatie will be screened just a few hundred metres from where part of that story unfolded. The screening follows the historical reenactment organised from 5:30pm on the Esplanade de la Libération, made up this year of six tableaux. Several other commemorative ceremonies are also scheduled across Paris from 23 to 25 August.
Event details
Dates & times: 25 August 2026, doors open from 8:15pm
Location: Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, 75004 Paris (4th arrondissement)
Price: Free

