Noce Blanche (White Wedding) is Vanessa’s first feature film. It marked a turning point in the way the French public viewed Vanessa. “After the success of 'Joe le Taxi,' I faced a lot of resentment. People insulted me, spat on me: It was a nightmare. In Noce Blanche I played an ex-prostitute hurt by life; I was no longer the little singer in too much make-up. When it came out, everything changed: the press and the public were nice. Maybe they noticed I had a little talent." 

Vanessa’s character is Mathilde, a teenage girl who falls in love with her much older married high school teacher (Bruno Cremer) in a provincial town in France. This is a serious dramatic role, where the young Vanessa tackles the issues of love, sex, drugs, and suicide through her character. Filming took place in France during the winter of 1989. 

Vanessa was not the first choice of the film’s director, Jean-Claude Brisseau. She was, however, the first choice of the film’s producer, who pushed Brisseau to cast Vanessa in the role. This would lead to a contentious relationship between the director and the young actress. At one point, Vanessa walked off the set and stayed away for three days before returning to finish the film without further speaking to her director. 

It was during this time that Vanessa made an important discovery. “With Noce Blanche, even if it was a frightful experience, I discovered that I love to act. It’s a way of escaping from yourself for several months. That’s what surprised me. I’ve never done theater, never took an acting class. Even if the character of Mathilde was a little disturbed, it made me happy to be somebody else.” 

Noce Blanche was released in November 1989. To everyone’s surprise, and despite the problems she had on set, Vanessa turned in a masterful performance. She stole the movie and showed herself to be a natural on screen. Her performance astonished her critics, who had to concede her talent. 

Her performance, which propelled this otherwise dreary film to the top of the box office, would garner her two prestigious awards in French cinema: the Prix Romy Schneider and the Cesar (the French equivalent of the Oscar) for “Most Promising Female Newcomer.”