There were 1,001 reasons to invite Vanessa Paradis to preside over the jury of the 46th Deauville American Film Festival: her early and enduring rise to fame, her varied realms of expression – song, cinema, fashion – her development into a generous, responsible and engaged woman, her multi-faceted international career… Her talent and celebrity have seduced audiences everywhere, including beyond our borders. But above all, we wished to honor an atypical and audacious artist.
A singing child prodigy, she made her stunning film debut in Jean-Claude Brisseau’s White Wedding, for which she received the Most Promising Actress César and the Romy Schneider Prize. Her dazzling introduction didn’t stop there, far from it. Some 30 directors have called upon her since (Patrice Leconte, Yann Gonzalez, Jean-Marc Vallée, John Turturro, Jean Becker, Sharunas Bartas, Samuel Benchetrit…). On the music side, with 7 albums and 3 Victoire de la Musique awards, in French as well as English, Vanessa Paradis has inspired the greatest composers: from Serge Gainsbourg to Matthieu Chedid by way of Alain Bashung, Étienne Roda-Gil, Lenny Kravitz and so many others…
As a member of the Cannes Film Festival jury in 2015, she sharpened her cinematic gaze under jury president George Miller… A premonition for Deauville? Vanessa Paradis has that unique gift of the greatest actors, to blend into the universe of those artists who direct her, always with humility and a singular voice.
Images of her singing the refrain of “The Whirlwind of Life” live in front of Jeanne Moreau at the 48th Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony were a feast for our eyes and memories.
The festival is overjoyed to have such a beautiful president.
Bruno Barde
Festival Director