Media and Film students from QE recently visited Paris for a once in a lifetime trip filled with inspiration and research opportunities. Amber Sharples-Parkin is studying Creative Media Practice, Film and Sport at QE and gave a first-hand account of the visit to the French capital.
“The trip to Paris was unforgettable, giving us an insight into French culture and the rich history of French Cinema. As students, we will treasure this experience for years to come.
Highlights of the trip included visits to the iconic Sacré-Cœur, Notre Dame, a river cruise past the Eiffel Tower and a trip to the most magical place in the world- Disneyland. We also explored the quirky, charming village of Montmartre.
It was an early start on day one, as we made our way to Darlington train station before a successful and stress-free journey all the way to Paris. After checking into the hotel, we enjoyed our first meal whilst we made new friends and connected with people we hadn’t met before the trip.
We then began the scenic walk to Sacré-Cœur and saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time – we even saw it twinkle which was a bucket list moment for some of us.
On day two, we were up and out early to get to our interactive tour at the notable Le Grand Rex, known for its incredible film premieres. The tour was very enjoyable and we learnt a lot about cinema and specifically the development of Cinema Rex. We even got behind the scenes access which was wonderful to see. After this we got to go onto the roof of Le Grand Rex, which gave us an incredible view of the city.
We then stumbled into the last day of Paris Fashion Week when visiting the Louvre, giving us the chance to see celebrities including Jaden Smith, Phoebe Dynevor, Alysa Liu and many more.
Next up was the chance to roam Champs-Élysées, before stopping to see Moulin Rouge and the café from the French film Amélie on the way to Montmartre.
Day three was Disney day – with many students saying it was the best day of their lives. There was more celeb-spotting when some students met Molly-Mae Hague, Tommy Fury and their daughter Bambi. We were able to go on all of the rides in the park and made memories that we will never forget. To end the picture-perfect day, we witnessed the Disneyland fireworks which were stunning.
After a late night, we made the journey to Pompidou Centre, before heading to Cinémathèque Française, a museum focused on the pioneer of early film Georges Méliès. We toured the fantastic museum, before watching the legendary ‘A Trip to the Moon’.
We then took a scenic walk alongside the River Seine to get to Notre Dame, which was stunning inside, and then continued the walk to reach the Eiffel Tower up close. A river cruise was next to see Paris from the water, before heading to Saint-Michel to have our last night in Paris. We split into small groups and some students ended the night with a wholesome game of football, in which some Parisians even joined in.
Overall, our trip was very insightful and a once in a lifetime experience.
A huge thank you to all of the teachers for making our trip so jam-packed and memorable.”
