(Translation by phileasfog24. Thank you!)

It was in a studio. Etienne Roda-Gil was making Sophie Marceau sing when a little 14 year-old girl, brought by her uncle, Didier Pain, came to tell him: "Mister, I can do it too." Her name was Vanessa Paradis, and Etienne, a composer (for Julien Clerc, operas, unfinished works for Roger Waters) wrote "Joe le Taxi" for her. Then Vanessa grew up. Success and disgrace following each other, and films: "Noce Blanche" (J-C Brisseau), Elisa (Jean Becker), the ads in a a golden cage opening itself in front of the Place Vendome made by Jean-Paul Goude for Chanel and the covers of "Première" (five all together, which for a young woman of 32 is rather a lot). let's put it bluntly: we love Vanessa.

We love her for her style, her mortal paleness in "Noce Blanche" , her monologue in "the Girl on the Bridge", for Johnny Depp, for her songs composed by Gainsbourg, Kravitz or "M", for the way she has to go along our lives and to come back suddenly as a shooting star in a rural city hunted by hairy aliens and a lewd producer ("Atomik Circus", Poiraud brothers). We are not the only ones to love her. Vanessa is part of her generations imagination. But first, Vanessa give all the answers about her life, her choices and her desires.

We haven't seen you since "The Girl on the Bridge". When did you feel like acting again?

During my second pregnancy, when I was expecting Jack. I received a demo from the Poiraud brothers. A weird thing which did not look like a synopsis. There were some photos, drawings, as well as 3D glasses and a short notice which said: "script following soon". And the script arrived. When I was reading it, I thought I was going to give birth on the spot as I was laughing so much. I asked to meet them. I first met Didier who has an indescribable way of speaking. He looks as if he was coming right out of his comics. There are in Didier as in his brother Thierry a mix of different cultures which are interesting: comics, music and ads, areas they dominate with talent. That could only make me want to work with them, I love people who are different.

Weren't you scared to make your come back with such a peculiar film?

No, I was mostly scared that I wouldn't understand what they wanted. First, there are two of them and they don't always finish their sentences. They have 50 000 ideas at the same time, and it goes in all directions. I was not getting it all, but I was not the only one. Even Benoit who knows them well was a bit lost sometimes. They are like puppies, they have this excitement which they express both in their ideas and in their gestures. Frankly, I was afraid it would be a mess, that they would contradict themselves, that they would step on one another. They reassured us in the very first minute of the shooting. It was clear and neat, they knew what they were doing.

Still, it was one risky choice?

It's sure that if I was doing more films, I would have much more experience to judge what is important or not. I have to be very careful and to choose only films which I find thrilling. Besides I am never actively looking after something. So yes, it was risky.

How would you define this film which is rather an UFO?

It's a cross between different genres...Thierry and Didier really hate etiquettes. It's not a comedy while it's a really funny movie, it's not science-fiction but still a little bit, it is also a kind of road-movie and there is some action. If I had to label it I would call it... a space western.

How do the Poiraud brothers work?

On the set, roles are usually well defined. As for them it was a bit vague. For instance, they were doing the "frame" (sorry, I am not good with technical terms...) one after the other. Of course, I was a bit scared for the coherence of the film. I was wrong: at the end, everything is coherent and faithful to what they are. And I love honesty above all. They have a spontaneous way of filming, on the contrary of prudent people who all of a sudden would decide to make something weird just because they would think "I am going to make something rock" . In the Poiraud's case there is no falseness. Their sincerity and this style were already present in their demo, ads and short films.

In this context, how did you work on your role?

The male characters are so crazy that I was afraid to be a bit like snow-white, ultra clean, the little naive girl who wants to become a star. That's why I wanted my character to be a little peculiar. I thought of Catherine Ringer from the "Rita Mitsouko" as a model, but they did not want that. They wanted me. Finally, thanks to how it is filmed, Concia is not that simple. She has passion for her job, she speaks a lot. This scene where I explain to Jason Flemyng how she sees the cover of her CD was done with the mingling of around 40 takes. It gives more tones to the character.

Was it easy to play a singer in a film?

Yes, thanks to the Little Rabbits. Because their music is so different from what I usually sing and because we decided to low down my voice in most of the songs so that I don't have my normal little sugary voice. It is the first time I have agreed to do it. I was asked before, but it was not justified. And now it's pure joy. It's not yet real rock as such but they really made an effort to open their music: there are some cha-cha-cha, songs which are slower, but they always reflect their style.

Was it hard to act again after a five-year gap?

I was not sure if I was going to be able to make it work again. (laugh) Fortunately, I did not have time to think too much about it. We started with the last scene where I fight with monsters, wind, dust and punches in the face...I did not have time to become cerebral, I just had to be physical. After, everything comes back naturally. It enabled everyone to grasp the rhythm and the energy of the film from the very first day.

Five years after your last film, which changes in your acting have you noticed?

I have never acted by putting myself right under the light or by giving my good side-face, but before, I sometimes smirked because I thought it would help me. When I looked at the screen afterwards to see the result I was ashamed. This time, I noticed that I was doing it much less, Age, probably...

What do you think of the film?

I am very proud of it. Well, your perception of the film can depend on the way you woke up in the morning because the tone, you like it or you don't. If you are not used to it, you will surely find it weird, we don't see this kind of film everyday. But after, when you like it you are pleased with it. I have no reserve about it.

Did you know Benoit Poelvoorde before the film?

No, and I was afraid not to be able to utter a word in his presence, which proved to be wrong. Under his eccentric manners, Benoit has great delicacy. He is a sweet man. I noticed when he forced himself to calm down not to produce ear-splitting noise. I am a woman and I was touched by his ways of a  gentleman. He brought a lot to my character in the movie. At first, Concia was less colorful than the other characters. Benoit worked on my role from the very first readings and not on his own. He helped a lot in its rewriting.

And what about Jean-Pierre Marielle?

We had a missed rendezvous: the male character of "The Girl on the Bridge" had been written for him. He liked the role, he was a close friend of Serge Frydman, the scriptwriter. But, in my opinion he did not feel at ease playing my lover. Therefore, he refused it, a very nice thing to do, I think. Then, he was part of Atomik... to replace Jean Yanne with whom we had worked a lot on the film. It was really a shock, very violent, very sad. But we had to go on. The first name which came in our mind was J-P Marielle. I said "don't move, I might do something". I gave a call to Serge Frydman who rang Marielle who acted in a very nice way. He usually needs 6 months to work on his roles and here he only had 10 days. It was impressive. Marielle and the Poiraud brothers do not belong to the same family but there was no problem. He was happy to be among these crazy people. He let them go.

Compared to this experience which appears to have been idyllic, your first experience was rather hard. Which memories do you keep of it?

When you are a pop singer at the head of the charts as I was at the time, you are sent several scripts of course. But I was waiting for something I really wanted to do. When I said yes to "White Wedding" I was already aware that Brisseau was not an easy man. The theme itself was not joyful, and the film was shot in Saint-Etienne...I was sixteen, I was only a little girl. Brisseau and some people of his surroundings were really mean with me in the way they directed me or spoke to me among other things. I let them do... But I have no regret, after this film people stopped spitting on me in the streets. The film changed how people saw me.

Wasn't there at the time a will from your part to break this image of a precocious child and to move to something else?

Absolutely not. I did not give a damn about it. I was just following my path.

Therefore, how did you choose your roles?

Very simply and selfishly: I like a story or I don't.

You said that the cinema, compared to singing, was a holiday. Would actors be lazy?

I don't want to belittle the work of actors, which is of course difficult, morally and sometimes physically. What I meant is that on a set, your are on holiday from your own personality. There is a sort of forgetfulness and rest of the spirit. You are someone else, you are taken care of, you work with a team, there are some exchanges. You don't have all the responsibilities on your head, they are shared with the director... On the contrary, when you sing, if you lost your voice, if a string of the guitar broke or if the song goes wrong, it is your fault. The spectators come to see the singer and just her even though she is alone to make the show.

Between "Elisa" and "White Wedding" there is a 5-year gap. Was it because you wanted to concentrate on your singing career?

In the months following "White Wedding", I did not receive convincing scripts. Then Doillon proposed a story I was willing to work on but I was already too committed with Serge Gainsbourg. I asked him for the lyrics to one song and he said he wanted to make all the lyrics of the album. I did not hesitate and it was the only thing that mattered. I did this album, followed by another one in English and some concerts during which I met Jean Becker who gave me the script of Elisa. This movie enabled me to have a completely different experience from the first one: a shooting where everything goes fine, where people like each other and connect with one another. Ask the technicians, they still speak about it as a completely joyful moment. I met Florence Thomassin there, who has become dear to my heart. We were on the Isle de Sein, isolated from the rest of the world, I was 21 and I was playing opposite Gerard Depardieu...

And how was it with him?

He was great. Gerard can be tougher with a young male actor, but when you are a girl, he is only love. And he keeps his hands off, at least with me. He was making me laugh like crazy, even though our lines were not always light things to say. At the time he was on a diet and he was eating only raw garlic all day long. That was something! But I did not mind, it was really funny.

Did you really refuse before "Elisa" propositions made by Boorman and Almodovar?

Almodovar, no, Boorman, yes. And it was a rather unpleasant test. At the time, the producers of Ciby 2000 had organized the meeting with Boorman. He was not particularly mean with me, no, but he clearly made me understand that he was asked to meet me and that he did not want me in his movie. It was really a horrible situation. Since then, when I am told that a director wants to see me, I always ask if the desire is really there. However, for "White Wedding", Brisseau did not want me either. He thought of another actress but the producer probably needed a more famous name in the cast to make the film. He asked me questions in a rather aggressive way and I only answered them in a natural way. I had nothing to lose and nothing to gain, and he liked that.

After "Elisa" there was a sort of flop with "Witch Way Love"...

I don't like to say mean things, but well... To work with Jeanne Moreau will always be a great memory. For her only, I don't regret to have done this film, even though I am not really pleased with it. At first, it was to be a film about magic for people of every age, a love story, with a witch, a grand-mother... The script was nice. After, one still have to make a good film.

With Patrice Leconte, you also made two different films. And, here, a completely different experience from the previous one...

Before "Half a Chance", there was the script for the "Girl on the Bridge". But the idea to reunite Delon and Belmondo came faster than expected and the bigger film had to be done before the smaller one. It was fun to make, with some moments of comedy, but it was 4 months with loads of fire, guns, explosions, helicopters, lots of materials... There is less pleasure when you spend most of the time to wait for the set to be ready. Fortunately, Patrice is a man as charming as he is funny.

After Cremer and Depardieu, Delon and Belmondo: again 2 movie dads for yourself only...

That is true. Delon was in love with me. He really behaved like a dad. He was very protective. 6 months after the shooting, I broke my leg in 4 parts, I was in a poor state. He called me every single day to have some news. Every single day. And it was not by diplomacy. Belmondo, strangely, was a bit more difficult to approach. Delon was alone, Belmondo had many people with whom he had been working for many years surrounding him. Therefore, I can understand he liked better to stay with them between the takes. We were less in touch. But both of them were like kids feeling well in their element. There were race cars, helicopters, guns... I was less an accomplice than a spectator of their meeting again.

In front of such actors, is there a risk to be too impressed and to just look at them play?

No, because everyone has their own thing. What they do is not necessarily good for me. But it is sure that you realize a better tennis match with a good player opposite you. The way your partner look at you, the tone of his voice, the rhythm that he gives you, all this can only help you to get better.

And then, there was "the Girl on the Bridge" with Daniel Auteuil...

An important role of a young woman to which I could completely relate. It is a love story in black and white with weird people, and where sex scenes are done with knives. On the set of "Half a Chance" we kept on talking about it, Patrice and I. I had never before read such a well written script. I knew it by heart 6 months before. The shooting only lasted 2 months. Instead of doing a scene in 2 days we did 2 in a day.

José Garcia said how much he learned playing with Auteuil. Was it the same for you?

Daniel taught me something really important. During a scene I could not make, he reassured me: "who told you that you had to be satisfied in 2 takes? Do as the technicians with the light or the frame, give yourself time to manage. Don't waste all your bullets at the first take." Of course, sometimes you have to be good right away, but that day, Daniel really helped me.

You were part of "Don Quixote". What was your feeling about this failure?

It is a disaster, a desolation. In the documentary, "Lost in La Mancha", I could see all that I hadn't seen there, all the difficulties. Above all, there is Terry who tries every day with all his heart to get through it. There was everything: the set, the costumes, his genius, the actors, and all the way there was something bad happening. It is only a film, but everything that occurred was tragic, like the pain felt by Jean Rochefort which started as soon as he took the plane, and his feeling of guilt. I don't know if you should believe in ghosts but this project is doomed from so many years...

It was the first time that you were to make a film with Johnny Depp, your husband...

Usually, Johnny and I prefer to avoid this situation. It seems strange for us to play because we rather want, concerning our couple, to make real life come first. We love each other, we are in the truth all the time. We never tell each other lies. To find ourselves in a world of illusions scare us. For "Don Quixote", it's Terry who wanted us to play together after he saw "The Girl on the Bridge". Terry Gilliam, Don Quixote, Jean Rochefort, Johnny and I, it was rather tempting. That the film could not be done appeared like a sign: we were not to work together.

Are you often asked for it?

Of course. They don't hesitate. Myself, also, I don't avoid it. For instance, we did 2 video clips together, and I love to be directed by Johnny. Maybe, we could think of the possibility to work together in this case: that one would be in front of the camera, the other behind. I am ready to move my arms for Johnny. It is a small personal message that I send him.

After "the Girl on the Bridge" you stopped making movies but you had 2 babies...

That was real life beginning.

During that time, on a professional level, what did you do?

Music. There was an album, "Bliss" and concerts.

Were you still receiving scripts?

Yes.

Are there some films you refused and that you regret?

Yes, one.

Can you say which one?

No. It wouldn't be nice for the actress who got the part. At the same time, it's only a small regret. Maternity, life, that is real.

Do you go the cinema?

I love going to the cinema. But I simply don't have time and I have other priorities. When the kids are sleeping, you can't leave them alone. Mine are small. We have to stay near the controlling system (I don't know how you call it...) But when I go, once a year if everything is fine, it's great! I have just seen "Big Fish".

Do you have other projects?

I have just finished the first film by Serge Frydman. It is a jewel. I have worked with a young actor, Vincent Rotier, a pure gem. He will still be working in 50 years time.

Finally, it is the first film where you are the old person...

Yes, thanks! (laugh) That is true, he is seventeen. It is a duo, a bit like "the Girl on the Bridge" with other actors coming along from time to time. I was afraid it would not please Serge to be at the head of a crew: he is used to working alone at his desk. I am really proud of it.