Cannes 2021: the return of Catherine Deneuve a year and a half after her illness

It was November of 2019 when Catherine Deneuve she was hospitalized in Paris due to an illness reported on the set of the film In his lifetime by Emmanuelle Bercot. The French media initially spoke of fatigue, but it didn’t take long before Claire Blondel, the actress’s agent, explained that her client had been the victim of an ischemia that would have led her to face a long period of rest. . Now, after a year and a half break and a final red carpet at the Venice Film Festival for Hirokazu Kore’eda’s Truths, Deneuve returns to show himself in public at the Cannes Film Festival.

It does just that with In his lifetime, retaining the elegance and charm it has always had and returning to the Montée des Marches together with Bercot six years after the success of With your head held high. The 77-year-old actress this time is the protagonist of a very intimate film linked to the relationship of a mother who is faced with the fatal illness of a child. Despite being presented out of competition, the film managed to pay tribute to the talent of Deneuve who, after ischemia, managed to complete the shooting immediately after the first lockdown.

Browse gallery

“I’m happy that Cannes and the cinema were able to resume as before, it’s really moving for me” Deneuve said during the evening. The actress, one of the most famous of French cinema, has a long history with the Croisette: her first appearance dates back to 1964 when, at only 21 years old, she presented The Umbrella of Cherbourg by Jacques Demy, winner of the Palme d’Or. Subsequently she was present in almost all editions, assuming the role of Vice-President of the jury in 1994, receiving the Palme d’Honneur in 2005 and the Special Jury Prize in 2008.