The real thing: real life in fake cities

80 Eiffel Towers, 30 Leaning Towers of Pisa, dozens of White Houses and Pyramids of Giza...
Immobile by definition, architectural heritage is no longer immune to relocation. Entire monuments and villages, icons of global tourism, are being copied full-scale. A new generation of tourists is discovering the possibility of traveling without moving, without risk, and at lower costs.

Why do these places exist? Who creates and designs them? What do they tell us about the original models, often European? And also, what stories emerge within these copies, where some people choose to live?
Pourquoi ces lieux existent-ils ? Qui les fabrique et les conçoit ? Que nous racontent-ils sur les modèles originaux, souvent européens ? Mais aussi, quelles sont les histoires qui naissent à l’intérieur de ces copies où certains choisissent d’habiter ?

Type (Documentaire / Documentaire fiction / Série documentaire)DocumentaryGenre en anglaisSociety & Economy Written and directed byBenoit FeliciEditingSophie BrunetCinematographyBastian EsserSound Benjamin VosslerOriginal score Pablo PicoIn association with Al Arabiya News Channel, YLE, Ceská Televize / Czech Television, RSI - Radiotelevisione Svizzera di lingua Italiana, Radio CanadaPartnersCNC, Procirep, Angoa-Agicoa, Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication, Fondation Jean-Luc Lagardère, IDM Südtirol - Alto Adige, Berlinale Talents, Direction générale des PatrimoinesBroadcasted by ARTE FranceDistributed by ZEDFestival(s)Hot Docs 2018, Sélection officielle Artscapes / BAFICI 2019, Sélection officielle / Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) 2019, Sélection officielleYear2018Duration54min

Today, we can stroll through Paris in China, pray at the Vatican in Ivory Coast, or lie down in a replica of the Taj Mahal to find eternal rest.

Monumental “fakes” are spreading across all continents. Architects, historians, and geographers are questioning the nature and scale of this phenomenon. After all, architectural copies are as old as architecture itself. And most amusement parks also have their own pastiches of cities and monuments.

What sets these constructions apart from theme parks or Las Vegas casinos is that they are inhabited. In these places, which appear virtual, real stories unfold. While the copy may be “almost” identical to its model, what happens inside is no longer the same as the original. The documentary meets those who bring these places to life. They live there, work there, and raise their children there… What drives people to live in these replicas? What appeal do these strange duplicates hold, that are neither “here” nor quite “elsewhere”?

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The real thing: real life in fake cities

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