Jean Dujardin, Guillaume Canet, Isabelle Adjani, Isabelle Huppert, Jonathan Cohen, and Léa Drucker: the stars shone at the cinema event with Madame Figaro on Tuesday, March 31 in Paris. An exclusive and dazzling cast that heralds the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
The event was hosted by Madame Figaro as a prelude to the remarkable Cinema Dinner that signals the start of the Festival de Cannes, scheduled for this year from May 12 to 23.
Enchanting Decor
The venue? Chez Gigi, a chic Italian restaurant on the rooftop of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, overlooking the prestigious Avenue Montaigne with a direct view of the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower. The setting was enchanting with dim candlelit ambiance and a bed of tawny flowers, like a jewel for the approximately 120 celebrities invited to this special event, the ninth of its kind.
Léa Drucker, César winner for Best Actress of the Year, arrived almost first, followed by Anamaria Vartolomei, Mélanie Laurent, Virginie Ledoyen, and Marie Colomb (who also received the prestigious Chopard Trophy – which highlights two international cinema talents each year at the Cannes Film Festival). Nadia Tereszkiewicz, with her short hair, took a final moment of unsupervised freedom before heading to Saint-Tropez for the first readings of the new season of White Lotus. She took a notable step towards an American dream. Vincent Cassel and Laura Smet were also present.
Two Isabelles
Another amusing episode unfolded with the presence of two Isabelles, Adjani and Huppert, rumored to be irreconcilable. Whether by chance or intention, their glances did not even meet, each reigning joyfully at different tables. Adjani, true to herself, was affable and mysterious, without her signature sunglasses, revealing her imminent departure to Florida for a family event. Huppert, reunited with director François Ozon who directed her in Eight Women, conversed with Ledoyen, another actress from the iconic 2002 film.
Guests were served Chassagne-Montrachet and Bellinis as Jean Dujardin, now a cinema icon in France, arrived, adored for the exceptional The Light and the Shadows, which has surpassed 500,000 viewers. Dujardin chatted happily with fellow French cinema luminaries Guillaume Canet and Gilles Lellouche. Canet discussed his anxieties and hopes for his new film as a director, Karma, starring Marion Cotillard, while Lellouche hinted at his upcoming biopic Moulin about a heroic resistance fighter.
The Voice of Barbara Pravi
Around midnight, the cinephile crowd joyfully mingled in a delightful chaos. The Eiffel Tower still sparkled as Barbara Pravi, accompanied by a pianist, sang songs by Michel Legrand and even Dalida.
As the VIP guests began to disperse in an organized group, some night owls resisted by extending the evening on the terrace: Raphael Personnaz clinked glasses with Jonathan Cohen, Pio Marmaï with Benjamin Lavernhe, and Martin Bourboulon with Damien Bonnard. Jérôme Commandeur, an indefatigable go-between, connected all the groups. Among them was the unique and fascinating Vimala Pons, the only woman amidst the group of boys.
