If you were born again, would you want to be an actress again?

I can´t say cos I didn´t choose to become an actress, I guess film found me by accident. My sister Francoise wanted to be an actress and she was playing in low budget movie called Les Portes Claquent. Director was looking for a girl who could play her sister and since I was on holiday and was just 16, sister mentioned me and I got the part. My parents had no objections and I took it as an adventure. I wanted to study architecture but when Roger Vadim invited me to play in his film Le Vice er la vertu and after filming he told me I was good and should focus on career of actress I followed his advice. I owe him a lot. Till the time Jacques Demy invited me for shooting Umbrellas in Cherbourg, I wasn´t sure and if I wanted to be an actress, since I had no confidence in me. But this film was turning point for my career.

I wouldn´t want to be a young actress these days since all had to look like supermodels and they all look as Barbie dolls, no individuality like in my days .When I was young I dressed well for special occasions but apart from that I was just myself. Now, you have no make- up and wear a T-shirt, they make a picture of you, put it on internet and whole world sees that in a day and you are finished. I did care about myself but was never on strict diet. I like good food and burgundy at the end of the day.

You are making films for almost 60 years. People have changed, time has changed, technology has changed and style of filming has changed. Do you still enjoy making films today as much as you did in 60´s and 70´s?

Yes, I enjoy it today very much, honestly I think and feel being more part of the film today cos I have a crew around me and we talk more about film. Also I know about films and film making much more than I did then. I have friends among actors, directors and scriptwriters so I know more what does it take to make a film and I am more patient. Film is just a picture of life and France had glorious 30 years of cinematography when country and economy was healthy and people were working and great films were made. I am interested in technology which enables making films to various directors for much less money, since today cinematography is very expensive. People, who couldn´t have made films 30 years ago, can do it now for less money. I still love watching new films and going to movies, even during the making of my new film, it kind of belongs to my life and I like to explore new faces and new stories. Film has been with me since my youth and it taught me a lot and thanks to it I matured. As a young girl I ignored many things but film made be being more tolerant.

You were often critical towards Hollywood, where you have made three films. What didn´t you like there the most?

I think, the Americans believe that all films must be entertaining, all is run by fashion. I appreciate that they are well prepared, less chaotic, because it is costing so much money and they can´t afford to waste their time. In Europe and specialy in France, filmmaking is a small adventure but relationship among actors is much better, there is time to talk about lines and rehearse. In America there are certain roles for actress up to certain age, if you are older you get no chance. Also if they take some controversial role like relationship between elderly women and young man, like in The Graduate, which is something Hollywood hasn´t accepted yet, their career can be over. In Europe there isn´t such problem and actress of my age still gets the job.

Francois Truffaut had big influence on your career. You made two films with him-Sirens at Mississippi and Last metro. First one was big flop, second big success. How come, same actress, same director and such different result?

Public choice I guess. Audience decides about success of the film but obviously there can be more factors. Mainly story is the key. Last Metro was probably more liked by audience since there were more characters and the story appealed to them. Sirens of Mississippi was more complicated story and they probably didn´t like what my character of perverse woman did to young man like Jean Paul Belmondo. Truffaut was great director who loved and lived for his films. Actors could dream about such director, he didn´t tell them what and how to do things, but wrote dialogues and then rehearsed them. Every actor had time to suss it out and get the feel of the role. Last Metro had significant influence at my career and after that I got more interested and sophisticated roles. Shame that Francois is no more here, it would have been great to make another film with him.

Lots of your mates like Belmondo or Delon were successful on stage. You had no ambition to follow them?

No, never. Although my mum was a theatre actress from her young age I was always stage fright. When I saw some of my mates how much it mentally cost them to get into the character and out of it again and how they looked after performance I knew this is not for me.

Which of your films you enjoyed the most to work on?

Apart from aforementioned Last metro, it surely was Umbrellas at Cherbourg, which was directed by Jacques Demy in 1964.I had only six movies under my belt by that time, but this one significantly moved my career upwards and forwards. It was like an opera and there was music even during rehearsal which was pretty unusual and I have never experienced it before or after. It was nice and simple.

It seems you were successful in anything you put your hands on, business, fashion, film. Is there anything you were longing for in your life but it slipped through your fingers?

I think I was very fortunate since from beginning of my career I was working with interesting directors. With fashion I am no more involved apart the fact I was life- long friend and muse of Yves Saint Laurent. As everybody I had tough times and good days in my life. I don´t think I have missed anything in my life, I still have dreams but not about what could have been, if….. but like every ordinary person, those every day´s dreams, you know.

How did you enjoy playing in same movie with your daughter Chiara?

At the beginning I wasn´t very sure if it works since she was a person I knew well and I thought it may be strange but we talked and rehearsed together and it turned out to look natural so my worries didn´t fulfill.

How do you view current hysteria of Me Too campaign?

I signed a petition with other artists in Le Monde papers since I wanted to avoid being asked any more questions after that. I think, internet is very dangerous these days and you have no control over what you say, since they can take it out of context and it could hurt innocent people. I just didn´t want us to have witch hunt in the artistic world.

These days many actresses turn into director. Have you ever toyed with idea of following them?

I am pleased that all actresses are not directors since there is all too many films made in France and there isn´t place for all of them. Of course there are good films made and technically I know, what does it take to direct a film, but I have no desire to do it, I am interested in acting.

You will be 75 this year which is usually time to look back. Do you intend to write some memoires?

No way. These kinds of books expect to reveal facts about your personal life, about your friends, people you worked with and you loved and I refuse that. Privacy is my privacy and nobody else business. My personal life and work were always two different lines and I intend to keep it that way.

This interview was realized at Febiofest.

Foto: Febiofest, Wikipedia.com, Pinterest.com