Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPrimetime EmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalFall TV GuideMost Anticipated This MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayTrending peopleCelebrity news
    IMDb LabsHelp centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

The City of Lost Children

Original title: La cité des enfants perdus
  • 1995
  • R
  • 1h 52m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
75K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,569
1,158
The City of Lost Children (1995)
Home Video Trailer from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Play trailer2:22
1 Video
99+ Photos
FrenchDark ComedyDark FantasyDystopian Sci-FiSteampunkAdventureDramaFantasySci-Fi

A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.

  • Directors
    • Marc Caro
    • Jean-Pierre Jeunet
  • Writers
    • Gilles Adrien
    • Jean-Pierre Jeunet
    • Marc Caro
  • Stars
    • Ron Perlman
    • Daniel Emilfork
    • Judith Vittet
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    75K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,569
    1,158
    • Directors
      • Marc Caro
      • Jean-Pierre Jeunet
    • Writers
      • Gilles Adrien
      • Jean-Pierre Jeunet
      • Marc Caro
    • Stars
      • Ron Perlman
      • Daniel Emilfork
      • Judith Vittet
    • 288User reviews
    • 68Critic reviews
    • 73Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 wins & 14 nominations total

    Videos1

    The City of Lost Children
    Trailer 2:22
    The City of Lost Children

    Photos119

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 111
    View Poster

    Top Cast86

    Ron Perlman
    Ron Perlman
    • One
    Daniel Emilfork
    • Krank
    Judith Vittet
    • Miette
    Dominique Pinon
    Dominique Pinon
    • Le scaphandrier…
    Jean-Claude Dreyfus
    Jean-Claude Dreyfus
    • Marcello
    Geneviève Brunet
    • La Pieuvre
    • (as Genevieve Brunet)
    Odile Mallet
    • La Pieuvre
    Mireille Mossé
    • Mademoiselle Bismuth
    Serge Merlin
    • Gabriel Marie (Cyclops Leader)
    Rufus
    Rufus
    • Peeler
    Ticky Holgado
    Ticky Holgado
    • Ex-Acrobat
    Joseph Lucien
    • Denree
    Mapi Galán
    Mapi Galán
    • Lune
    • (as Mapi Galan)
    Briac Barthélémy
    • Bottle
    • (as Briac Barthelemy)
    Pierre-Quentin Faesch
    • Pipo
    Alexis Pivot
    • Tadpole
    Léo Rubion
    • Jeannot
    • (as Leo Rubion)
    Guillaume Billod-Morel
    • Child
    • Directors
      • Marc Caro
      • Jean-Pierre Jeunet
    • Writers
      • Gilles Adrien
      • Jean-Pierre Jeunet
      • Marc Caro
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews288

    7.475.2K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Summary

    Reviewers say 'The City of Lost Children' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus.

    Nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam quis enim lobortis scelerisque
    Lorem ipsum dolorSit amet consecteturAdipiscing elitSed do eiusmodTempor incididuntUt labore et doloreMagna aliquaUt enim ad minimVeniam quisNostrud exercitation
    Sign in to see this summary and all user reviews
    See opinions from fans, or write your own review.
    Sign in to IMDb
    This extra step helps us keep IMDb's reviews a space for genuine, human voices.

    More like this

    Delicatessen
    7.5
    Delicatessen
    Micmacs
    7.1
    Micmacs
    A Very Long Engagement
    7.6
    A Very Long Engagement
    Amélie
    8.2
    Amélie
    City of Lost Children
    6.0
    City of Lost Children
    Brazil
    7.8
    Brazil
    Big Bug
    5.5
    Big Bug
    The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
    7.1
    The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
    Dark City
    7.5
    Dark City
    La véritable histoire d'Amélie Poulain
    6.4
    La véritable histoire d'Amélie Poulain
    Dante 01
    4.8
    Dante 01
    Made in Caro
    5.7
    Made in Caro

    Related interests

    Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows (1959)
    French
    Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Sian Clifford in Fleabag (2016)
    Dark Comedy
    Doug Jones and Ivana Baquero in Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
    Dark Fantasy
    Clive Owen and Clare-Hope Ashitey in Children of Men (2006)
    Dystopian Sci-Fi
    Alfred Abel, Brigitte Helm, and Rudolf Klein-Rogge in Metropolis (1927)
    Steampunk
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
    Fantasy
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      To achieve the slightly skewed color scheme of the movie, the actors were made up in white face and the color palette corrected until they were flesh-toned.
    • Goofs
      The words from The Original that Miette remembers in flashback (after she receives Uncle Irvin's dream message) differ slightly from what The Original actually said, although the point of the message is still the same.
    • Quotes
      • [after Mlle. Bismuth has been harpooned]
      • Clone: Does it hurt?
      • Mlle. Bismuth: Yes, I'm allergic to steel.
    • Alternate versions
      There are two different audio tracks for the film - one is the original French language version and another is an English language dub.
    • Connections
      Featured in Les enfants de la cité perdue (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      Who Will Take Your Dreams Away
      Music by Angelo Badalamenti
      Lyrics by Marianne Faithfull
      Performed by Marianne Faithfull

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ1

    • Why do One and Miette need the map through the minefield if they easily avoid the mines with a rowboat?

    Details

    • Release date
      • December 15, 1995 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • Germany
      • Spain
      • Belgium
    • Official sites
      • Sony Pictures Classics (United States)
      • StudioCanal International (France)
    • Languages
      • French
      • Cantonese
    • Also known as
      • La ciudad de los niños perdidos
    • Filming locations
      • Studios 91 Arpajon, Saint-Germain-les-Arpajon, Essonne, France(Studio)
    • Production companies
      • Constellation
      • Lumière Pictures
      • Le Studio Canal+
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    • Budget
      • $18,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,738,611
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $34,348
      • Dec 17, 1995
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,785,061
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 1h 52m(112 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby SR

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    You have no recently viewed pages
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2026 by IMDb.com, Inc.