Samy Naceri’s first time in DTLA was
for the filming of the movie “Taxi 3”.
With the crew, he was very eager to
discover the American celebrities
with whom he would work.
Director Luc Besson wanted them
to be surprised and had kept the location secret until the end. He finally had the chance then to work with
Sylvester Stallone, but he was disappointed to stay only one day in DTLA
and go back to Marseille to end the
movie!
He describes Downtown Los Angeles with three words: city, diversity,
and history. It reminded him a little
of NYC, and at the same time, the cultural side of the city impressed him,
with the Walt Disney Concert Hall,
the Broad Museum, the old theater
on Broadway, and also the LA River,
the set for so many famous movies.
DTLA is a mix of urban sites and filthy
decors.
He enjoyed drinking a smoothie to
6 pm on a terrace of a juice bar, or a
good coffee after lunch; it reminded
him a little bit of Paris during summer.
Or the hidden pleasure of a cocktail
on the Standard’s rooftop at night.
His favorite street is Broadway, with
historic theaters like the Globe,
where Charlie Chaplin used to come,
now held by French people, it’s just
magic!
He imagined if DTLA was a movie; it
would be Taxi 5! If it were a book, it
would be The Curse of Capistrano,
by Johnston McCulley, with the first
apparition of the character “Zorro.”
If a perfume, it would be Vetiver, by
Guerlain.
DTLA has a rhythm, a sound, like a
Slam, by Samy Naceri! He still has so
many things to learn about this part of
Los Angeles! But he wants to recomm-