A new series based on the tragic 2019 fire that devastated Notre Dame de Paris will soon be released on Netflix. The series, Notre-Dame, will depict the raging inferno that took down the cathedral’s iconic spire and most of the roof, as well as the effects the destructive events had on the Parisian community.
As with other world-changing events such as the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the assassination of JFK, and the terror attacks of 9/11, no one will forget where they were on Monday, April 15, 2019. This was our first thought as the trailer began, showing the various characters of Notre-Dame come to the realization that their city’s cherished Catholic monument was ablaze. Even today, years removed from the sight of smoke pluming off the 12th-century church, the imagery of the inferno evokes powerful emotions.
Perspectives
The upcoming series will attempt to delve deeper than just the fire, to show the perspectives of several Parisian citizens and the effects the fire had on their lives. One storyline will follow a fire chief, just days away from retirement, who is thrust back into duty and becomes a figure of hope. Another firefighter story revolves around a woman who had just returned to the force after a traumatic fire took the life of a comrade.
Meanwhile, outside of the fire, a reporter grapples with the mixed emotions of covering the biggest story of her career, which forces her to be ever present in the developing story. This juxtaposition of excitement over a promising future for her career and the heartbreak over losing the cathedral promises to be a dramatic scenario.
Another plotline follows a woman who was already caring for her mother’s dwindling health and how these stresses threatened to overwhelm her when the weight of Notre Dame’s destruction was added.
Complete with a realistic depiction of the fire as it swept through the Cathedral – one shot in the trailer shows a firefighter attempting to walk through the rafters, surrounded by billowing flames – Notre-Dame is expected to be a powerful retelling of the historic blaze. The 6-episode subtitled French-language series is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on Wednesday, October 19.
