Ana Girardot A Parisienne in motion
A longside Jérôme Pulis-Etchevers and Anne-Florence Schmitt, you co-founded the Nouvelles Vagues festival in Biarritz, whose fourth edition ran from June 23 to 28. Looking back, what do these first four years mean to you?
We are enormously proud of what we have built. From the beginning, we knew there was something strong in the festival’s focus on youth, which is really at the heart of its identity. We wanted to hear from a younger generation and give it a place to be seen and taken seriously. Once we had defined that focus, the rest fell into place. Partners understood it immediately, and people in the industry wanted to be part of it. I truly believe that young filmmakers have the power to reinvent cinema.
Were there any moments from these first four editions that stayed with you in particular?
There have been some extraordinary encounters. Welcoming international talents such as Sofia Coppola, Keira Knightley, Xavier Dolan, and Kristen Stewart has given us memories we will never forget. I also often think about the Iranian filmmaker Saeed Roustayi, who chaired the feature-film jury during the festival’s first edition. When he returned to Iran, he was threatened with being barred from working. Two members of the jury who were living in Los Angeles at the time, Francesca Scorsese – Martin Scorsese’s daughter – and Noah Centineo, were deeply moved by what was happening. They used their networks and fought to bring attention to his situation.
You star alongside Isabelle Huppert and Sandrine Kiberlain in Marc Fitoussi’s comedy Ni vue, ni connue, which opens in theaters on October 7. What can you tell us about the film?
I love Marc Fitoussi, and working with him was a real pleasure. I play an actress named Ana Girardot in a film set within the movie business. The character is a wildly exaggerated version of me: she is absolutely unbearable, and at one point she dismisses Isabelle Huppert, who plays an extra dreaming of bigger roles. Treating an actress like Isabelle with that kind of contempt was not exactly the easiest thing I have ever been asked to do. (Laughs.)
You have been appearing more in television series, from La Fièvre and The Count of Monte Cristo to the fourth season of Baron Noir, which will air on Canal+ in January 2027. This fall, you will also be seen in the HBO Max series Rallye 8, playing French rally driver Michèle Mouton.
I was deeply honored to play her. Michèle Mouton was a genuine pioneer in the 1980s, when rally racing was still almost entirely dominated by men. In spite of that, she won four World Rally Championship events. The role involved a number of stunts, which made the experience especially intense. We shot part of the series in Senegal, where half the crew ended up getting sick. It became quite an epic adventure, but I came away from it with wonderful memories.
What guides your choices as an actress today?
A script that pulls me in from the very first page is always a very good sign. That happened with Frédéric Tellier’s Fantômas – Le Nouveau Monde, which is scheduled for release on February 10, 2027.
I honestly don't think I could leave Paris again
When I read a screenplay straight through without stopping, I usually know that I want to be part of the film.
You are often seen as the quintessential Parisienne. What does Paris mean to you?
Apart from three years in New York and another three in Hong Kong, I have always lived in Paris proper. It is where I spent my childhood and adolescence, and where I am now raising my children, in the 10th arrondissement. The city is part of who I am. At this point, I honestly do not think I could leave it again.
What is the first thing you do when you return to Paris after being away?
I sit down at a café terrace. To me, nothing is more Parisian. You meet one person, then someone else joins you, and before long there are three or four of you around the table. I have been spending time on café terraces since middle school, when my friends and I would sit over coffee for hours, talking as if we could solve everything. I suppose I was already training to become a Parisienne. (Laughs.)
Hemingway called Paris a movable feast. If you had to describe the city in a single phrase, what would yours be?
More than a party, I would call it the day after a party. There is always something going on, as though the celebration never completely ended. Whenever you feel bored, you only have to cross into another neighborhood and the city comes alive again. Whatever happens, Paris always keeps a little of its magic.
Ana’s favorite spots in Paris
- Quite simply, my favorite restaurant in Paris. It is a wonderful Japanese canteen where I go for bentos and udon noodles. I never tire of it. 10 rue Saulnier, 9th.
- The ideal place for a drink. Its lush, elevated setting in the heart of Montmartre is unlike anywhere else. In my wildest dreams, this is where I would live. 23 avenue Junot, 18th .
- I go for the quality of the exhibitions as much as for the building itself. I think it may actually be my favorite monument in Paris. Avenue Winston-Churchill, 8th
- The place has barely changed since I was a child. It still has the same swings and the same carousel I used to ride when I was little. Now I love taking my own children there. Place Edmond-Rostand, 6th .
- The booksellers always give excellent advice, and I often leave with my arms full of discoveries. 174 boulevard Saint-Germain, 6th.
- For skin treatments that come close to perfection, this is the place. A moment of relaxation in the basement of Hôtel Costes is enough to recharge me for a long time. 7 rue de Castiglione, 1st .
- I have a real weakness for this neighborhood vintage store, which is full of treasures. I regularly stop in when I am picking up my children from school. 11 rue des Petites-Écuries, 10th.
- For the most beautiful sunset in Paris, I wholeheartedly recommend the terrace of this well-known restaurant on Île Saint-Louis. 1 rue des Deux-Ponts, 4th .
