It’s been nearly sixty years since 24-year-old Catherine Deneuve and her older sister Françoise Dorléac starred as twins in *The Young Girls of Rochefort*.
The movie, which also featured a young Gene Kelly, was the last film the sisters made together. Deneuve went on to become internationally famous, while Françoise’s life and career were tragically cut short.
Born into an acting family, Deneuve, now 79, made her first appearance in the 1957 French movie *The Twilight Girls*. Her big break came in 1960 when she starred in *The Umbrellas of Cherbourg*, a romantic musical that highlighted her French style and innocence, launching her into stardom. This was just the beginning of many films she would make with director Jacques Demy.
Her talent for dramatic roles caught the eye of legendary director Roman Polanski, who cast her in the psychological thriller *Repulsion*. Deneuve’s brilliant performance as Carol, a mentally troubled woman, earned her the nickname “ice maiden.” This image was solidified in her next film, *Belle de Jour*, where she played a housewife who secretly works as a prostitute—a role that won her awards and global fame.
In 1963, Deneuve became a mother, having a son with French screenwriter Roger Vadim. She later had the chance to star alongside her older sister, Françoise Dorléac, in the 1967 musical *The Young Girls of Rochefort*. The two sisters were very close, and with their similar looks, playing twins in the movie felt natural.
But just three months after *Rochefort* was released, tragedy struck. Françoise, at only 25, died in a car accident, a moment Deneuve describes as the most painful in her life.
“The day I lost my sister, I lost my joy of living… it is the most painful thing I have experienced,” she shared in an interview with *Paris Match*, a French weekly magazine.
The loss of her sister didn’t slow down Catherine Deneuve, who became the epitome of 1960s glamor, often seen as a femme fatale wrapped in Yves Saint Laurent.
Deneuve, known as the face of French cinema, has appeared in over 120 films throughout her 60-year career. Reflecting on how the industry has changed, Deneuve explained, “Human nature is vast. There are roles more suited to people of my generation. As you age, it’s the same in life—you gain experience and play characters you couldn’t when you were 30.” She added, “It’s hard to find the right path. You can age better in Europe than in America. But women today look younger than they did 50 years ago. Back then, a 50-year-old woman looked her age. Now, not so much.”
Despite her worldwide fame, Deneuve has mostly starred in French films, with only a few roles in English-language films.
Catherine Deneuve explained why she mostly supports French cinema, saying, “I feel very French, but I speak Italian and English, so I feel very European. However, I don’t feel close to English people. Even though England is not far, their sensibility and character are very different.” She added, “I feel closer to Spanish or Italian people because the Latin character is different from the Anglo-Saxon one. We have different educations and cultures.”
Some of her English-speaking roles include *The April Fools* with Jack Lemmon (1969), *Hustle* with Burt Reynolds (1973), *March or Die* with Gene Hackman (1977), and the 1983 cult classic *The Hunger*, where she played a lesbian vampire alongside David Bowie and Susan Sarandon.
In 1972, Deneuve divorced British photographer David Bailey, whom she married in 1965 after meeting at a Playboy shoot. Their wedding guests included Mick Jagger. From 1970 to 1974, she was in a relationship with Italian film icon Marcello Mastroianni, with whom she had a daughter in 1972.
In 1980, Catherine Deneuve delivered an award-nominated performance in *The Last Metro*, starring alongside another famous French actor, Gérard Depardieu. This marked the beginning of a successful collaboration, as they would appear in 15 films together.
Deneuve mentioned that she and Depardieu have similar work styles, saying, “We are both instinctive actors. We prefer to arrive on set and figure things out in the moment rather than rehearse ahead of time.”
In the 1990s, Deneuve received an Oscar nomination and a César Award (France’s national film award) for her role in the French period drama *Indochine*. The film, released in 1992, also won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
The 2000s introduced Catherine Deneuve to new roles, including the award-winning musical drama *Dancer in the Dark*, where she starred alongside the unique Icelandic singer Björk. In 2010, she reunited with Gérard Depardieu for the eighth time in the film *Potiche*.
After appearing in the 2019 film *The Truth* with Ethan Hawke and Juliette Binoche, Deneuve was filming the French movie *Peaceful* when she was hospitalized due to a stroke. Although her family described it as a “very limited” ischemic stroke, production on the film was delayed until July 2020, when the then 76-year-old actress was able to return. Deneuve, who had smoked since she was 16, finally quit after her month-long hospital stay.
Honored with a lifetime achievement award at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, the French icon, who celebrates her 80th birthday this year, continues to thrive, and we look forward to seeing her in many more films!
MAN FINDS A SMASHED PHONE ON THE ROADSIDE — AFTER HE INSERTS THE SIM CARD INTO HIS OWN PHONE AND CALLS “DAUGHTER,” HE RUSHES TO HELP.
The morning sun glinted off the dew-covered grass as Alan hurried down the street, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. He had found an old, battered phone on the sidewalk, a relic from a bygone era. Curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he’d inserted the SIM card into his own phone. The call that followed had shattered his ordinary morning and thrust him into an unexpected role: rescuer.
“Julie, I’m coming to get you,” he had promised, his voice steady despite the tremor in his hands.
Now, standing in front of the apartment building, a wave of apprehension washed over him. What would he find inside? What kind of danger had befallen this little girl?
He cautiously knocked on the door, his knuckles white. Silence. He knocked again, louder this time. Still, no answer.
Worried, Alan called the police. While he waited, he tried to peer through the windows, but the blinds were drawn. He imagined the little girl alone in the apartment, scared and helpless.
Finally, the police arrived, two officers with stern faces and concerned eyes. They listened to Alan’s story, their expressions growing grimmer by the second. After a brief discussion, they forced the door open.
The apartment was small and sparsely furnished, a poignant picture of a life lived in simplicity. Dust motes danced in the single shaft of sunlight piercing through the grimy window. But it was the silence that was most unsettling, a heavy, suffocating silence that seemed to amplify the ticking of his own heart.
Then, he saw her. Julie, curled up on a threadbare rug, her face pale, her eyes wide with fear. She looked smaller, more fragile than he had imagined.
One of the officers knelt beside her, his voice gentle, “Julie? Are you alright?”
Julie, her voice barely a whisper, nodded slowly.
The police officers, after assessing Julie’s condition, contacted child services. Alan, feeling a strange sense of responsibility, stayed with Julie, offering her a comforting smile and a reassuring pat on the head. He bought her a small stuffed animal from a nearby convenience store, the bright colors a stark contrast to the gloom that had settled over the apartment.
As he watched the ambulance pull away, carrying Julie to the hospital, Alan felt a strange sense of purpose. He had stumbled upon a situation he never could have anticipated, but he knew he couldn’t walk away.
He spent the next few days making calls, trying to find any information about Julie’s mother. He contacted local hospitals, checked missing persons reports, and scoured social media for any clues.
The search proved to be frustrating. Julie, it turned out, had been living with her mother in a homeless shelter before they moved into the apartment. There was no record of any family members.
But Alan wasn’t going to give up. He visited Julie every day at the hospital, bringing her books, drawing supplies, and stories. He became a constant presence in her life, a beacon of hope in the midst of uncertainty.
The days turned into weeks, and Julie slowly began to open up. She told him about her mother’s dreams of finding a stable home, of providing a better life for her daughter. She spoke of her mother’s love for nature, her passion for painting, and her infectious laughter.
As Julie recovered, Alan began to investigate further. He visited the homeless shelter, spoke to the staff, and learned about the challenges faced by homeless families. He discovered a network of organizations dedicated to helping children in need.
He wasn’t just a programmer anymore. He was an advocate, a protector, a beacon of hope for a child who had lost her way. And as he watched Julie smile, her eyes sparkling with a newfound joy, he realized that sometimes, the most unexpected paths led to the most meaningful destinations.
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