For many years, Belgian-born screen actress Cécile de France (48) has been one of France’s leading ladies and most successful actresses in mainstream and arthouse films. She first achieved success in French cinema with hit films such as “L’Art (délicat) de la séduction” (2001) and “Irène” (2002), followed by her international breakthrough film, “High Tension” (2003). Ms. de France has been going strong ever since.

As the recipient of two César Awards, she played numerous memorable and empathic characters over the years, and she was the first star to work with the Dardenne brothers—Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne—when they made “Le gamin au vélo” (2011, a.k.a. “The Kid With a Bike”), another precious gem.

Even though she works in France most of the time, making two to three films a year, and has been living there for many years, she says, je me sens profondément belge. And that’s where she was last October when she attended the Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur to introduce her latest film, “Bonnard, Pierre et Marthe,” directed by Martin Provost.

The film focuses on the life and work of French painter Pierre Bonnard and his wife Marthe, played by Vincent Macaigne and Cécile de France. The result is a highly recommended and solid piece of entertainment with powerhouse performances, taking the film d’époque genre to the next level when you see that life can imitate art, and art imitates the human heart.

This interview with Cécile de France was conducted at the Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur. In Belgium, the film will be playing in theaters from January 10 and is released through Imagine Film Distribution.

Ms. de France, what inspired you to play the part of Marthe?

I was eager to make a film with Martin [Provost] because I have always admired “Séraphine” [2008]. That was a remarkable film, so I wanted to work with this grand portraitiste de femmes who always has this very interesting and tender approach towards mysterious female characters, and Marthe is a very mysterious woman. When I had read the screenplay, I discovered there was something very passionate to tell when she takes you on her journey. Her story begins the day she meets Pierre; it marked the beginning of her transformation as she invented a new name for herself and pretended to be a bourgeois while she was a poor peasant girl. She knew what she wanted and didn’t want, and by changing her name, pretending to be an Italian woman and erasing her past, she tried not to lose the man she loved. It made her life much more complicated than it already was; she suffered and developed asthma like a ghost from the past. That’s very powerful, and it influenced the work of Pierre Bonnard. He painted her face as if she was locked in a solitary and secret world. And when he didn’t paint her face, you saw her three-quarters, vague, or hidden. It seemed interesting to portray a character this enigmatic who kept her secret for so long and transcended her feelings in her paintings, as she became a painter too. And like Séraphine, this was a unique opportunity for me. Marthe was mentally ill, psychotic and phobic, and covering her whole trajectory until she died is very challenging for any actress. You don’t get parts like that every day, so I could not turn down this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The way Marthe paints, with all the movements and gestures she makes with her hands, how did you do that?

Édith Bodron did the paintings for the film, and she taught us—Vincent Macaigne and me—the technique of Pierre and Marthe. It was interesting because it brought me closer to my character; her paintings were totally different from Pierre’s. He was precise and meticulous while she worked with pastels; you need your fingers, which makes her work look more naive and childish. Her paintings are powerful, but the technique is not complicated, so it was very accessible for me. Also, she never took any classes; she never went to the Academy. She used whatever she had at home.

Did you also research her life, or did you prefer to portray her how you think she could have been?

Not the way I thought she was, but the way Martin did. He also gave me several books written about her. To many biographers, she was fascinating; it was apparent she was not the woman she pretended she was. So, it was fascinating to dig into all this information that is available and have a first impression of who she is. And then, it’s important to forget everything and pay close attention to Martin’s view on Marthe. The way he wanted me to portray her is pretty much how she was.

What was it like to play Marthe at various stages in her life?

That was amazing because Kaatje Van Damme did the make-up. I think she’s the best maquilleuse in Belgian and French cinema and beyond. She did everything in a very artistic way with hardly any special effects to enhance her amazing work. The aging process of Marthe looks excellent, and it helped me tremendously. When I was made up and played Marthe as a young woman, or when she was ill, tired, or old, it helped me to bring out the emotions of each stage in her life. It was a great collaboration to create Marthe when she was young, ill, and old.

With each new role, you amaze the audience because, as a viewer, you never know what to expect. Your performances are always astounding and enriching.

That is what I try to find in each role that I play. I always hope to play roles that bring something new, something else, because you don’t want to repeat yourself. I always choose new characters to play that are very different from those I have done before. That’s very amusing; when you change costumes, or they give you a different hairstyle, and you play that other person, that’s always a real treat. But it requires a lot of work; I do most of my work at home—and do it very rigorously—to make sure I’m on the same page with the film director who knows how to tell the story, and then I offer myself to the director like Marthe offers herself to Pierre. In a way, I do the same when working with an enthusiastic film director who has a personal view on the subject and wants to say something substantially. It helps me to reach beyond that point where I wouldn’t get if I were to do it on my own.

Is that the reason why you play characters that speak a universal language? Because even though you mostly appear in French-language films, your characters and how you portray them are universally appealing.

I like the idea that anyone can identify with a character I play—men and women. It’s typically human that film and its universal language allow people to connect across all borders. Language shouldn’t be a restriction; age shouldn’t be a restriction. They unite us if we understand the contradictions in others. There are so many stories to tell, and seeing all those different facets in any human being is very gratifying.

“Bonnard, Pierre et Marthe (2023, trailer)

That’s why you also made films such as “Around the World in Eighty Days” [2004], or “Hereafter” [2010] with Clint Eastwood as your director?

I liked those screenplays a lot and was impressed by those film directors. And Clint Eastwood, well, he is unique. In France and in Belgium, he’s like God. He’s always very warm and friendly, and he trusts his entire cast and crew. He also trusted me, which was very comforting. He made me feel at home. And he usually does only one take because he loves the magic moment of that first take. So as an actor, you want to capture that, and you’d better be prepared [laughs]. But, as I said, he trusts you, so he gives you the freedom to express yourself the way you want to and do it in one take. And if you ask him to do another take, he’ll do it. But since he’s also an actor, he knows how you feel and that you know what to do. So I met all those wonderful people who were very professional and very modest at the same time. I learned a lot from them; watching them at work was very interesting. How they worked, how they collaborated with others… That was a wonderful learning experience.

I thought “Hereafter” would be the start of your career in America.

Later, they sent me other scripts, but those were not what I hoped for. I am very happy to work in France and in Belgium, where there’s a kind of freedom and spontaneity, and the atmosphere is very collaborative, while in the U.S., it’s all more impressive. It’s more like an industry. Here, it’s an industry too, but actors have more freedom to express themselves. Les acteurs peuvent vraiement participer à la création d’une oeuvre cinématographique, more in France than in any other country, I think. People listen to us on how we would like to portray our characters, and I like that a lot. It makes me feel very comfortable [laughs]. So I’m very happy with my films, and I don’t feel the urge to work in America to be happy.

I always imagine that you go through the screenplays they send you when you’re at home, and you say ‘yes’ to one screenplay, ‘no’ to another, and ‘maybe’ to a third one. Is that how it works?

That’s exactly how it works; it’s that easy. Mostly it’s ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ There’s no ‘maybe.’ It’s like reading a book: you like it, or you don’t. Choosing a screenplay is the same. If I like it, I would like to start working on it right away; if it’s a ‘no,’ then I think non, merci beaucoup, but I’m not interested [laughs]. The reason why I accept a screenplay or a role is because of all the emotions it triggers. Does the story make me laugh, does it turn me upside down, does it interest me? Those things—so it’s very basic. I don’t pay attention to the structure of the screenplay, for example. It’s not an intellectual process; it’s what I feel when I read it. That’s how I get on board. That motivates me.

Is there one film you saw when you were young that inspired you to become an actress?

Yes. There are several, but if I need to pick one, it would be “Orlando” [1992] with Tilda Swinton. She’s an incredible actress who blew me away with her performance when she, as Orlando, had a very unusual lifetime. With the gift of eternal youth, she lived in four centuries and experienced life through the eyes of both sexes. The transformation and polymorphy in her performance are stunning, and the film is an absolute masterpiece. It’s a film d’époque, and I love those films; they can take you on a journey covering many years.

Festival du Film Francophone de Namur
October 3, 2023

FILMS

REGARDE-MOI (EN FACE) (2000) DIR Marco Nicoletti PROD Leonardo De La Fuente SCR Marco Nicoletti, Santiago Amigorena, Jean-Luc Nivaggioni CAM Pierre Cottereau ED Antoine Vareille MUS Arland Wrigley, Jean-Claude Ghrenassia CAST Cécile de France (Dune), Dimitri Radochevitch, Riton Leibman, Nadir Legrand, Gérard Touratier, Simone Guertner, Dramandra Khassar, Xavier Denamur

L’ART (DÉLICAT) DE LA SÉDUCTION (2001) DIR Richard Berry SCR Richard Berry, Fabrice Roger-Lacan (novel “Kurtz” [1998] by Jean-Marc Aubert) CAM Dominique Bouilleret ED Anna Ruiz MUS Stéphane Brossollet, Sébastien Cortella, Éric Serra CAST Patrick Timsit, Richard Berry, Cécile de France (Laure), Alain Chabat, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Ludmila Mikaël, Jessica Forde

TOUTES LES NUITS (2001) DIR Eugène Green PROD Alain Bellon SCR Eugène Green (inspired by the novel “La première éducation sentimentale” [1869] by Gustave Flaubert) CAM Raphaël O’Byrne ED Emmanuelle Baude, Charlotte Teillard D’Eyry MUS Samuel Sixto CAST Alexis Loret, Christelle Prot, Adrien Michaux, Cécile de France (Prostitute with glasses), Eugène Green, Anna Bielecka, Claude Merlin, Xavier Denamur

L’AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE, a.k.a. THE SPANISH APARTMENT and POT LUCK and EURO PUDDING (2002) DIR – SCR Cédric Klapisch PROD Bruno Levy CAM Dominique Colin ED Francine Sandberg CAST Romain Duris, Judith Godrèche, Audrey Tautou, Cécile de France (Isabelle), Kelly Reilly, Cristina Brondo, Federico D’Anna, Barnaby Metschurat, Christian Pagh, Cédric Klapisch

IRÈNE (2002) DIR Ivan Calbérac PROD Thierry de Navacelle SCR Ivan Calbérac, Eric Assous, Benoît Labourdette CAM Vincent Mathias ED Diane Logan MUS Laurent Aknin, Muse, Julien Schultheis, Paul Weller CAST Cécile de France (Irène), Bruno Putzulu, Olivier Sitruk, Estelle Larraviz, Agathe de la Boulaye, Patrick Chesnais, Michel Scotto di Carlo, Valérie Moreau, Evelyne Buyle

A+ POLLUX (2002) DIR Luc Pagès PROD Laurent Bénégui SCR Luc Pagès, Maïté Maillé (novel “Le chameau sauvage” [1997] by Philippe Jaenada) CAM Kika Ungaru ED Valérie Pasteau MUS Gérard Torikian CAST Gad Elmaleh, Cécile de France (Pollux Lesiak), Nathalie Boutefeu, Jean-Marie Galey, Marina Golovine, Marilú Marini

MOI CÉSAR, 10 ANS 1/2, 1M39, a.k.a. I, CESAR (2003) DIR Richard Berry PROD Michel Feller SCR Richard Berry, Eric Assous (original idea by Richard Berry) CAM Thomas Hardmeier ED Laurence Briaud, Lisa Pfeiffer MUS Reno Isaac CAST Jules Sitruk, Maria de Medeiros, Jean-Philippe Écoffey, Joséphine Berry, Mabô Kouyaté, Anna Karina, Katrine Boorman, Cécile de France (Samantha), Murray Head, Charley Boorman

KAENA: LA PROPHÉTIE (2003, animated) DIR Chris Delaporte, Pascal Pinon CO-PROD Danis Friedman SCR Chris Delaporte, Kenneth Oppel, Tarik Hamdine (story by Chris Delaporte, Patrick Daher) ED Bénédicte Brunet MUS Leo J. Russlan CAST (voice only, French-language version) Cécile de France (Kaena), Victoria Abril, Michael Lonsdale, Jean Piat, François Senier, Jean-Michel Farcy, Raymond Aquaviva

HAUTE TENSION, a.k.a. HIGH TENSION (2003) DIR Alexandre Aja PROD Alexandre Arcady, Robert Benmussa SCR Alexandre Aja, Grégory Levasseur CAM Maxime Alexandre ED Sophie Vermersch, Al Rundle, Baxter MUS François-Eudes Chanfrault CAST Cécile de France (Marie), Maïwenn, Philippe Nahon, Franck Khalfoun, Andrei Finti, Oana Pellea, Marco Claudiu Pascu

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (2004) DIR Frank Coraci PROD Bill Badalato, Hal Lieberman SCR David Andrew Goldstein, David N. Titcher, David Benullo (novel “Around the World in 80 Days” [1872] by Jules Verne) CAM Phil Meheux ED Tom Lewis MUS Trevor Jones, David A. Stewart CAST Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan, Cécile de France (Monique La Roche), Robert Fyfe, Jim Broadbent, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Coraci, Luke Wilson, John Cleese, Kathy Bates

LA CONFIANCE RÈGNE, a.k.a. JUST TRUST (2004) DIR Étienne Chatiliez PROD Charles Gassot SCR Laurent Chouchan (idea by Étienne Chatiliez) CAM Philippe Welt ED Catherine Renault MUS Matthew Herbert CAST Vincent Lindon, Cécile de France (Chrystèle Burrel), Éric Berger, Anne Brochet, Martine Chevalier, Jacques Boudet, Pierre Vernier

LES POUPÉES RUSSES, a.k.a. RUSSIAN DOLLS (2005) DIR – SCR Cédric Klapisch PROD Bruno Levy, Matthew Justice CAM Dominiqie Colin ED Francine Sandberg MUS Loïc Dury, Bruno Epron Mahmoudi, Laurent Levesque, Christophe Minck CAST Romain Duris, Kelly Reilly, Audrey Tautou, Cécile De France (Isabelle), Kevin Bishop, Evguenya Obraztsova, Irene Montalà, Lucy Gordon, Cédric Klapisch

FAUTEUILS D’ORCHESTRE, a.k.a. ORCHESTRA SEATS (2006) DIR Danièle Thompson PROD Christine Gozlan SCR Danièle Thompson, Christopher Thompson CAST Cécile de France (Jessica), Valérie Lemercier, Claude Brasseur, Albert Dupontel, Christopher Thomspon, Laura Morante, Sydney Pollack, Suzanne Flon

QUAND J’ÉTAIS CHANTEUR, a.k.a. THE SINGER (2006) DIR – SCR Xavier Giannoli PROD Edouard Weil, Pierre-Ange Le Pogam CAM Yorick Le Saux ED Martine Giardano MUS Alexandre Desplat CAST Gérard Depardieu, Cécile de France (Marion), Mathieu Amalric, Christine Citti, Patrick Pineau, Christophe, Jean-Pierre Gos, Monique Gailleurd, Alain Kruger

MON COLONEL, a.k.a. THE COLONEL (2006) DIR Laurent Herbiet PROD Costa Gavras, Michèle Ray-Gavras, Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Salem Brahimi SCR Laurent Herbiet, Jean-Claude Grumberg (story by Costa-Gravras; novel “Mon colonel” [1999] by Francis Zamponi) CAM Patrick Blossier ED Nicole Berckmans MUS Armand Amar CAST Olivier Gourmet, Robinson Stévenin, Cécile de France (Lt. Galois), Charles Aznavour, Guillaume Gallienne, Bruno Solo, Éric Caravaca, Georges Siatidis

MAUVAISE FOI, a.k.a. BAD FAITH (2006) DIR Roschy Dem PROD Philippe Godeau SCR Roschy Dem, Pascal Elbé CAM Jérôme Alméras ED Monica Coleman MUS Souad Massi CAST Cécile de France (Clara Breitmann), Roschy Dem, Pascal Elbé, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Martine Chevallier, Bérangère Bonvoisin, Leïla Bekhti, Naima Lamcharki

BLANCHE NEIGE—LA SUITE, a.k.a. SNOW WHITE: THE SEQUEL (2007, animated) DIR Picha PROD Linda Van Tulden, Steve Walsh, Eric van Beuren SCR Picha, Tony Hendra ED Chantal Hymans MUS Willie Dowling CAST (voice only) Cécile de France (Snow White/Sleeping Beauty/Cinderella), Marie Vincent, Jean-Claude Donda, Gérard Surugue, Benoît Allemane, Marc Alfos, François Barbin, Mona Walravens

J’AURAIS VOULU ÊTRE UN DANSEUR, a.k.a. GONE FOR A DANCE (2007) DIR – SCR Alain Berliner PROD Patrick Quinet CAM Tony Pierce-Roberts ED Laurent Ingels MUS Terry Davies CAST Vincent Elbaz, Cécile de France (Blanche), Jean-Pierre Cassel, Circé Lethem, Pierre Cassignard, Jeanne Balibar, Simone Buret, Franck Monier, Eric Gordon

UN SECRET, a.k.a. A SECRET (2007) DIR Claude Miller PROD Yves Marmion SCR Claude Miller, Natalie Carter (novel “Un secret” [2004] by Philippe Grimbert) CAM Gérard de Battista ED Véronique Lange MUS Zbigniew Preisner CAST Cécile de France (Tania Stirn/Grimbert), Patrick Bruel, Ludivine Sagnier, Julie Depardieu, Mathieu Amalric, Nathalie Boutefeu, Yves Verhoeven, Yves Jacques

OÙ EST LA MAIN DE L’HOMME SANS TÊTE, a.k.a HAND OF THE HEADLESS MAN (2007) DIR – SCR Guillaume Malandrin, Stéphane Malandrin CO-PROD Marc van Warmerdam CAM Nicolas Guicheteau ED Anne-Laure Guégan MUS Jeff Mercilis CAST Cécile de France (Eva Sanders), Ulrich Tukur, Bouli Lanners, Jacky Lambert, Jan Hammenecker, Géraldine Jacques, Edouard Piessevaux, Harry van Rijthoven

L’INSTINCT DE MORT, a.k.a. MESRINE PART 1: KILLER INSTINCT (2008) DIR Jean-François Richet PROD Thomas Langmann SCR Abdel Raouf Dafri (autobiography “L’instinct de mort” [1977] by Jacques Mesrine; adaptation by Jean-François Richet, Abdel Raouf Dafri) CAM Robert Gantz ED Hervé Schneid, Stéphane Garnier MUS Marco Beltrami, Marcus Trumpp CAST Vincent Cassel, Cécile de France (Jeanne Schneider), Gérard Depardieu, Gilles Lellouche, Ludivine Sagnier, Roy Dupuis, Elena Anaya, Deano Clavet, Leïla Bekhti, Olivier Gourmet, Michel Duchaussoy

SOEUR SOURIRE, a.k.a. SISTER SMILE (2009) DIR Stijn Coninx PROD Marc Sillam, Eric Heumann SCR Stijn Coninx, Ariane Fert, Chris Vander Stappen CAM Yves Vandermeeren ED Philippe Ravoet MUS Bruno Fontaine CAST Cécile de France (Jeannine Deckers), Sandrine Blancke, Chris Lomme, Marie Kremer, Jo Deseure, Jan Decleir, Filip Peeters, Johan Leysen

GARDIENS DE L’ORDRE, a.k.a. OFF LIMITS (2010) DIR Nicolas Boukhrief PROD Sylvie Pialat SCR Nicolas Boukhrief, Dan Sasson CAM Dominique Colin ED Lydia Decobert MUS Nicolas Baby CAST Cécile de France (Julie), Fred Testot, Julien Boisselier, Nicolas Marié, Stéphan Wojtowicz, Nanou Garcia, Stéphane Jobert, Gilles Gaston-Dreyfus

HEREAFTER (2010) DIR – MUS Clint Eastwood PROD Clint Eastwood, Kathleen Kennedy, Robert Lorenz SCR Peter Morgan CAM Tom Stern ED Gary Roach, Joel Cox CAST Matt Damon, Cécile de France (Marie Lelay), Bryce Dallas Howard, Thierry Neuvic, Cyndi Mayo, Lisa Griffiths, Jessica Griffiths, Ferguson Reid, Marthe Keller, Derek Jacobi

LE GAMIN AU VÉLO, a.k.a. THE KID WITH A BIKE (2011) DIR – SCR Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne PROD Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd CAM Alain Marcoen ED Marie-Hélène Dozo CAST Cécile De France (Samantha), Thomas Doret, Jérémie Renier, Fabrizio Rongione, Egon Di Mateo, Olivier Gourmet, Baptiste Sornin, Samuel De Rijk, Carl Jadot

UN BAISER PAPILLON, a.k.a. A BUTTERFLY KISS (2011) DIR Karine Silla [Karine Silla Pérez] PROD Christine Gozlan CAM Thomas Hardmeier ED Anny Danché MUS Angelo Badalamenti CAST Valéria Golino, Vincent Perez, Elsa Zylberstein, Jalil Lespert, Nicolas Giraud, Cécile de France (Alice), Roxane Depardieu, Iman Perez, Veronica Novak, Serge Hazanavicius, Gérard Depardieu

SUPERSTAR (2012) DIR Xavier Giannoli PROD Edouard Well SCR Xavier Giannoli (novel “L’idole” [2004] by Serge Joncour) CAM Christophe Beaucarne ED Célia Lafitedupont MUS Sinclair [Mathieu Blanc-Francard] CAST Kad Merad, Cécile de France (Fleur Arnaud), Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Cédric Ben Abdallah, Alberto Sorbelli, Frédéric Boismoreau

MÖBIUS (2013) DIR – SCR Éric Rochant PROD Mathias Rubin, Christophe Cervoni, Eric Juhérian CAM Pierre Novion ED Pascale Fenouillet MUS Jonathan Morali CAST Jean Dujardin, Tim Roth, Cécile De France (Alice), Émilie Dequenne, John Lynch, Maxim Vitorgan, Brad Leland, Branka Katic, Dean Constantin

CASSE-TÊTE CHINOIS, a.k.a. CHINESE PUZZLE (2013) DIR – SCR Cédric Klapisch PROD Cédric Klapisch, Bruno Levy CAM Natasha Braier ED Anne-Sophie Bion MUS Christophe Minck CAST Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Cécile De France (Isabelle), Kelly Reilly, Sandrine Holt, Flore Bonaventura, Benoît Jacquot, Zinedine Soualem, Cédric Klapisch

EN ÉQUILIBRE, a.k.a. IN HARMONY (2015) DIR Denis Dercourt PROD Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer SCR Denis Dercourt (book “Sur mes quatre jambes” [2015] by Bernard Sachsé, Véronique Pellerin) CAM Julien Hirsch ED Pauline Gaillard MUS Jérôme Lemonnier CAST Albert Dupontel, Cécile de France (Florence Kernel), Patrick Mille, Carole Franck, Antonin Gabrielli, Philippe Duclos, Bruno Monsaingeon

LA BELLE SAISON, a.k.a. SUMMER TIME (2015) DIR Catherine Corsini PROD Elisabeth Perez SCR Catherine Corsini, Laurette Polmanss CAM Jeanne Lapoirie ED Frédéric Baillehaiche MUS Grégoire Hetzel CAST Cécile de France (Carole), Izïa Higelin, Noémi Lvovsky, Jean-Henri Compère, Loulou Hanssen, Kévin Azaïs, Benjamin Bellecour, Laetitia Dosch, Sarah Suco, Calypso Valois

LE VOYAGE DE FANNY, a.k.a. FANNY’S JOURNEY (2016) DIR Lola Doillon PROD Saga Blanchard, Marie de Lussigny SCR Lola Doillon, Anne Peyrègne (autobiography “Le journal de Fanny” by Fanny Ben-Ami) CAM Pierre Cottereau ED Valérie Deseine MUS Gisèle Gérard-Tolini, David Gubitsch, Sylvain Favre CAST Cécile de France (Madame Forman), Léonie Souchaud, Stéphane De Groodt, Igor van Dessel, Lou Lambrecht, Anaïs Meiringer, Ryan Brodie, Juliane Lepoureau, Fantine Harduin

TERM LIFE (2016) DIR Peter Billingsley PROD Vince Vaughn, Victoria Vaughn, Micah Mason, Michael J. Luisi SCR Andy Lieberman (graphic novel by Andy Lieberman, Nick Thornborrow) CAM Robert Schaefer ED Kevin Stermer, Dan Lebental MUS Dave Porter CAST Vince Vaughn, Hailee Steinfeld, Bill Paxton, Jonathan Banks, Jordi Mollà, Terrence Howard, Jon Favreau, Cécile de France (Lucy [uncredited])

DJANGO (2017) DIR Étienne Comar PROD Étienne Comar, Olivier Delbosc, Marc Missonnier SCR Étienne Comar, Alexis Salatko (novel “Folles de Django” [2013] by Alexis Salatko) CAM Christophe Beaucarne ED Monica Coleman MUS Warren Ellis CAST Reda Kateb, Cécile de France (Louise de Klerk), Ulrich Brandhoff, Beata Palya, Bimbam Merstein, Gabriel Mirété, Vincent Frade, Xavier Beauvois, Levis Reinhardt

ÔTEZ-MOI D’UN DOUTE, a.k.a. JUST TO BE SURE (2017) DIR Carine Tardieu PROD Fabrice Goldstein, Antoine Rein SCR Carine Tardieu, Michel Leclerc, Raphaële Moussafir CAM Pierre Cottereau ED Christel Dewynter MUS Eric Slabiak CAST François Damiens, Cécile de France (The Doctor, Dr Anna-Erwin’s half-sister), Guy Marchand, André Wilms, Alice de Lencquesaing, Estéban, Lyès Salem

MADEMOISELLE DE JONCQUIÈRES, a.k.a. LADY J (2018) DIR Emmanuel Mouret PROD Frédéric Niedermayer SCR Emmanuel Mouret (novel by Denis Diderot) CAM Laurent Desmet ED Martial Salomon CAST Cécile de France (Madame de la Pommeraye), Edouard Baer, Alice Isaaz, Natalia Dontcheva, Laure Calamy, Manon Kneusé, Arnaud Dupont

REBELLES, a.k.a. REBELS (2019) DIR Allan Mauduit PROD Matthieu Tarot SCR Allan Mauduit, Jérémie Guez CAM Vincent Mathias ED Christophe Pinel MUS Ludovic Bource CAST Cécile de France (Sandra Dréant), Yolande Moreau, Audrey Lamy, Simon Abkarian, Samuel Jouy, Béatrice Agenin, Patrick Ridremont, Tom Lecocq, Valentin Papoudof, Eric Gordon

UN MONDE PLUS GRAND, a.k.a. A BIGGER WORLD (2019) DIR Fabienne Berthaud PROD Carole Scotta, Simon Arnal, Barbara Letellier SCR Fabienne Berthaud, Claire Barré (autobiography “Mon initiation chez les chamanes” [2004] by Corine Sombrun) CAM Nathalie Durand MUS Valentin Hadjadj CAST Cécile de France (Corine), Narantsetseg Dash, Tserendarizav Dashnyam, Ludivine Sagnier, Arieh Worthalter, Catherine Salée, Thomas Coumans

DE SON VIVANT, a.k.a. PEACEFUL (2021) DIR Emmanuelle Bercot PROD François Kraus SCR Emmanuelle Bercot, Marcia Romano CAM Yves Cape MUS Eric Neveux CAST Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Cécile de France (Eugénie), Gabriel A. Sara, Oscar Morgan, Lou Lampros, Melissa George, Clément Ducol, Olga Mouak

THE FRENCH DISPATCH (2021) DIR Wes Anderson PROD Wes Anderson, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson SCR Wes Anderson (story by Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Hugo Guinness) CAM Robert D. Yeoman ED Andrew Weisblum MUS Alexandre Desplat CAST Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Bob Balaban, Henry Winkler, Christophe Waltz, Cécile de France (Mrs. B.), Liev Schreiber, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Anjelica Huston (voice only)

LES JEUNES AMANTS, a.k.a. THE YOUNG LOVERS (2021) DIR Carine Tardieu PROD Fabrice Goldstein, Antoine Rein, Patrick Sobelman SCR Carine Tardieu, Sólveig Anspach, Agnès de Sacy (original idea by Sólveig Anspach) CAM Elin Kirschfink ED Christel Dewynter MUS Erik Slabiak CAST Fanny Ardant, Melvil Poupaud, Cécile de France (Jeanne Escande), Florence Loiret Caille, Sharif Andoura, Sarah Henochsberg, Martin Laurent, Olenka Ilunga, Manda Touré

ILLUSIONS PERDUES, a.k.a. LOST ILLUSIONS (2021) DIR Xavier Giannoli PROD Sidonie Dumas, Olivier Delbosc SCR Xavier Giannoli (novel “Illusions perdues” [1837] by Honoré de Balzac; adaptation by Jacques Fieschi) CAM Christophe Beaucarne ED Riwanon Le Beller, Cyril Nakache CAST Benjamin Voisin, Cécile de France (Louise de Bargeton),Vincent Lacoste, Xavier Dolan, Salomé Dewaels, Jeanine Balibar, Gérard Depardieu, André Marcon, Louis-Do De Lencquesaing, Jean-François Stévenin

LA PASSAGÈRE, a.k.a. WILD SEAS (2022) DIR Héloïse Pelloquet PROD Grégoire Sorlat, Pascal Caucheteux, Mélissa Malinbaum SCR Héloïse Pelloquet, Rémi Brachet CAM Augustin Barbaroux ED Clémence Diard MUS Maxence Dussère CAST Cécile de France (Chiara), Félix Lefebvre, Grégoire Monsaingeon, Imane Laurence, Jean-Pierre Couton, Ghislaine Girard, Caroline Ferrus, Ghauvain Pontoizeau

BONNARD, PIERRE ET MARTHE (2023) DIR – SCR Martin Provost PROD Denis Pineau-Valencienne, François Kraus CAM Guillaume Schiffman ED Tina Baz MUS Michael Galasso CAST Cécile de France (Marthe Bonnard), Vincent Macaigne, Stacy Martin, Anouk Grinberg, André Marcon, Hélène Alexandridis, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, Peter Van den Begin, Yveline Hamon

SECOND TOUR (2023) DIR – SCR Albert Dupontel PROD Catherine Bozorgan CAM Julien Poupard ED Christophe Pinel MUS Christophe Julien CAST Cécile de France (Mademoiselle Pove), Nicolas Marie, Albert Dupontel, Guillaume Buffet, Bouli Lanners, Nicolas Marié, Christiane Millet, Gilles Gaston-Dreyfus

TV MOVIE

LA BALLE AU BOND (1998) DIR Williams Crépin PROD Stéphane Lhoest SCR Williams Crépin, Alexis Salatko, Emmanuelle Sardou CAM Michel Van Laer CAST Isabel Otero, Jacques Penot, Sophie de la Rochefoucauld, Antoine Cousin-Mazure, Arthur-Rémi Pestel, Nanou Garcia, Florence Crick, Cécile de France