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!
Let’s find out who is lefthanded!
Have you ever wondered how to spot a left-handed person in a group of people just by observing their actions? It may seem easy at first, but when it comes to analyzing small details, many people struggle to find the correct answer.
In this intriguing puzzle, we have a group of individuals engaged in different activities—a chef, a computer user, a cleaner, a waitress, a photographer, and even a squirrel! The challenge is simple: Can you identify the left-handed person just by looking at their actions?
Take a close look at the image and test your observation skills. Let’s break it down step by step and see if you can get the correct answer!
Common Mistakes People Make in This Puzzle
At first glance, many people jump to conclusions too quickly, assuming that the hand holding an object determines whether a person is left-handed or right-handed. However, hand dominance is more complex than that! Here are some common errors people make when solving this puzzle:
- Assuming that the hand currently in use is the dominant hand – Some people use both hands for different tasks, so just because someone holds an object in one hand doesn’t mean it’s their dominant hand.
- Ignoring how objects are being held – A left-handed person might hold a tray in their right hand while using their left hand for more precise actions, such as serving.
- Focusing only on a single task – Some people might appear to use their right hand more often, but their overall posture and habits might indicate left-handedness.
- Forgetting that some tasks require both hands – Writing or using a mouse might be a clear indicator of hand dominance, but tasks like sweeping or using a camera require both hands, making it trickier to determine.
With these common mistakes in mind, let’s analyze each character in the image and find the true left-hander!
Video : Puzzles: Test Your Logical Reasoning: Guess who is Left Handed?
Breaking Down Each Character’s Actions
Now, let’s carefully examine each person in the image and determine which hand they seem to prefer.
The Chef (Chopping Vegetables)
He holds the knife in his right hand while using his left to steady the vegetables. Most right-handed chefs use the knife in their right hand, making it unlikely that he is left-handed.
Verdict: He is likely right-handed.
The Computer User (Typing at a Desk)
This person is using both hands on the keyboard, making it difficult to determine dominance. Many left-handed people still use a mouse with their right hand due to default setups.
Verdict: Unclear—could be either left-handed or right-handed.
The Cleaner (Sweeping the Floor)
He is holding the broom with both hands, making it hard to determine his dominant hand. Most right-handed people place their right hand on top and left hand lower when sweeping, while left-handers may do the opposite. Without clear positioning, it’s hard to say for sure.
Verdict: Unclear, but he could be right-handed.
The Photographer (Taking a Picture of the Squirrel)
She is holding the camera with both hands, which is natural for photographers. The shutter button is typically on the right side of the camera, meaning she is pressing it with her right hand. Most right-handed people use cameras in this way, making it less likely that she is left-handed.
Verdict: Most likely right-handed.
The Squirrel (Eating a Nut)
The squirrel is using both hands, which is common for animals. Unlike humans, animals don’t have hand dominance in the same way.
Verdict: The squirrel doesn’t count as left-handed or right-handed.
The Waitress (Serving Coffee)
She is holding the tray in her right hand, which is an important clue. Left-handed people often use their right hand to carry things while keeping their left hand free for more precise actions. Since she is about to serve with her left hand, this suggests she is left-handed.
Final Verdict: The waitress is left-handed!
Why the Waitress is the Left-Handed Person in the Puzzle
There’s a simple trick to identifying left-handed people in real life: They tend to use their right hand for support and their left hand for actions requiring precision.
In this case:
- She holds the tray with her right hand to keep it stable.
- She serves with her left hand, which suggests that’s her dominant hand.
Most right-handed people would naturally do the opposite—holding the tray with their left hand and serving with their right hand.
This small but important detail reveals her true handedness, making her the left-hander in this puzzle!
Video : Who is left handed
Encouraging Readers to Engage: Did You Get the Right Answer?
Now that you’ve gone through the step-by-step analysis, did you get the answer correct? Was your first guess right, or did you change your mind after reading the breakdown?
Share your thoughts in the comments!
- Who did you think was the left-hander before reading the explanation?
- Did you notice any other small details that might indicate handedness?
- Do you have any fun tricks for spotting left-handed people in everyday life?
Solving puzzles like this is a great way to sharpen your observation skills. If you enjoyed this challenge, try analyzing people around you in real life—you might be surprised by what you notice!
Keep testing your brain with more fun puzzles, and stay curious!
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