Actress Isabelle Huppert, who won a Golden Globe for her performance in Elle Verhoevens “Elle”, received UniFrances French Cinema Award at a star-studded ceremony here.
Hosted by Culture and Communication Minister Audrey Azoulay and UniFrance President Jean-Paul Salome, the ceremony brought together more than 12 filmmakers who came on stage to celebrate Huppert’s success, reports variety.com.
Among the attendees were Anne Fontaine, Mia Hansen-Løve, Eva Ionesco, Guillaume Nicloux, Marc Fitoussi, Serge Bozon, Benoit Jacquot, Diane Kurys, Francois Ozon, as well as “Elle” producers Said Ben Said and Michel Merkt, and producer Sylvie Pialat.
Azoulay said: “Diversity is at the core of France’s DNA. You said it yourself a few years ago during an interview you gave to France Culture: ‘There is often this idea of American dream. I don’t have a more American dream than a Korean one or a Taiwanese one, wherever these wonderful films are being made’.
“This is your view of diversity, which is opposed to uniformity, conformism and standardisation. It’s the diversity that French cinema is made of.”
Speaking about the honour, Huppert said: “What amazes me with films or even plays is how they can stem from a very private moment, and the way in which they can find an echo and evolve from being infinitely small to becoming infinitely universal.”
She added: “I realised through my trips how much people abroad love French cinema. Through all the recognitions that I have been receiving over the last few months, it’s French cinema which was being celebrated for its audacity, transgression, subversion and ultimately its freedom.”
