At the time of the revolution, Paris was still Medieval. Centuries later it was a 'model city', the yardstick by which other European cities were judged. On the occasion of the death of Baron Haussman, Francis Loyer, an art historian turned himself detective and combed the city for details that were so familiar they were no longer seen: a wooden shutter, an angle of the street, a carving on a facade. 'Haussman-ism' is often regarded as a sort of urban vandalism preceding the great modern devastations. This award-winning film gives a visually spectacular sweep over the ciy of Paris.