Yolande Moreau Receives Itinerances Prize at Alès Festival
Yolande Moreau was awarded the Itinérances Prize 2026 on Saturday at the 44th edition of the Itinérances festival in Alès before the screening of “Quand la mer monte.” The Belgian artist has had a unique and free-spirited career, recalling memories of filming in Gard, theatre, Deschiens, and auteur cinema.
“On ne choisit pas ce métier pour faire du pognon, mais tous les endroits où l’on joue, même si la scène est faite de caisses de bières, ne sont jamais minables.”
At the Théâtre éphémère du Cratère in Alès, Yolande Moreau received the Itinérances Prize 2026 on Saturday, March 28. The award was given to her before the screening of “Quand la mer monte.” During the evening, hosted by Louis Héliot, the Belgian artist shared her cinematic journey with the Alès audience. Theatre, clowning, Deschiens, cinema, directing, and nostalgic memories – her career unfolded chronologically, zigzagging between the stage and the people. This year, the festival paid tribute to her during its 44th edition held from March 20 to 29.
“Quand la mer monte”
Before the screening of her film “Quand la mer monte,” Yolande Moreau received the Itinérances Prize. Established in 2022, the Itinérances Prize honors a cinema personality each year. This time, it celebrates a unique figure in the Francophone landscape. Yolande Moreau gained public recognition in the 1990s with Deschiens and has since forged a path outside the norm, as a popular comedian not confined to a single style but also as a filmmaker. Co-directed with Gilles Porte, “Quand la mer monte” earned her two César awards in 2005 – Best Actress and Best Debut Film. The film is currently being digitized “pour ne pas partir aux oubliettes.”
On stage, Yolande Moreau, reflecting on memories tied to Nîmes and Gard, recalled her first feature film as an actress, Agnès Varda’s “Sans toit ni loi,” shot in the region in 1983. She fondly remembers a filming experience in Gard and a crucial encounter during that time, highlighting Agnès Varda as one of the most non-conformist personalities she has met.
“The roof of the arenas flew away”
Outside the Cratère éphémère tent in Alès, the wind blew strongly on the Alès prairie. The actress mentioned her performances in the city’s theatre, the plays at the Théâtre de Nîmes, and a vivid memory of a performance disrupted by the wind when “la toiture des arènes de Nîmes s’est envolée.” This anecdote resonated on Saturday night amidst the lively atmosphere of the Alès Prairie.
Yolande Moreau’s career has been anything but conventional – from her upbringing in Brussels to her early motherhood, odd jobs, and return to theatre through children’s performances. She shared her discovery of clowning, training with Philippe Gaulier, and the creation of “Sale affaire,” a solo foundational stage work that liberated her voice despite her initial shyness. This show opened the doors to Belgian, French, and Swiss stages before her shift to cinema.
Another pivotal moment was her encounter with Jérôme Deschamps and Macha Makeieff, leading to projects like Deschiens with François Morel and her rise to TV fame. However, Yolande Moreau remains wary of labels, rejecting roles that are too narrowly defined in favor of a blend of burlesque and tragedy.
“At Alès, Antoine Leclerc, general delegate of the festival, praised not a smooth career but a free journey marked by theatre, auteur cinema, burlesque forms, and directing. The evening continued with the screening of ‘Quand la mer monte,’ a film derived from her groundbreaking show ‘Sale affaire,’ shot in 16mm, still vibrant twenty years later, and now undergoing preservation.”
