discover the workshop for making silicone infants for film shoots

Lydia is 50 centimeters tall. This two-day-old infant is asleep. In reality, it is a full silicone dummy movie baby. “It’s Lydia, she’s already been in a lot of movies. She’s the one who has a crazy effect as soon as you introduce her”, explains Julie Barrere, co-manager of Cinébébé. 50 children populate this strange nursery. Only theater, television, cinema and advertising professionals can rent them. From 0 to 18 months, they have all skin colors, but always with their eyes closed.

Bellies made to simulate pregnancies

Cinébébé also manufactures larger-than-life bellies to simulate pregnancies. They are six employees in all. It takes them two months to create a baby from scratch, from the sculpture to the paint, including the mould. Everything is done by hand, even the laying of the hair. “It’s a job that takes between 12 and 20 hours depending on the heads”explains Céline Lallement, workshop technician at the house of Cinebébé. Renting a fake baby costs a total of 750 euros per day. In France, the law prohibits filming for children under three months.