Burning Down Paris

A compelling docu-drama about 16 days during World War II that decided the fate of Paris.
On 25 August 1944, when the bells of Notre Dame rang out to signal that Paris had been liberated, few among the population knew how close the city had come to total destruction by the Nazis.
In Berlin, with the course of the war turning against him, Hitler had pledged that Paris would be razed to the ground rather than surrendered to the Allies. The bridges, the Louvre, Sacré Coeur, even the Eiffel Tower were to be destroyed.
Who saved Paris from the Fuhrer's orders? The German general Dietrich von Choltitz, the governor of Paris, played a key role as the Resistance uprising gathered pace and France's General Leclerc sped towards the city with reinforcements.
Archive footage forms the backdrop of this gripping story, but the key action scenes are told through re-enactments, with actors playing the protagonists as they face decisions that would ultimately decide the fate of a city. (official distributor synopsis)