"It is a joy to receive this prestigious prize at the Venice Film Festival, which I love and have known for a long time, since Luis Buñuel's "Belle de jour" received the Golden Lion", reacted the 78-year-old actress, quoted in the festival press release.
It was the director of the Mostra, Alberto Barbera, who proposed giving Catherine Deneuve this award to the board of directors of the Biennale, which manages the Mostra.
Quoted in the festival press release, Alberto Barbera salutes "an eternal diva, a true icon of the big screen (...) appearing among the greatest interpreters in the history of cinema".
He also recalls "the Golden Lion won by" Belle de jour "in 1967, as well as his Volpi cup for best actress won for" Place Vendôme "by Nicole Garcia in 1998, still on the Lido.
Mr. Barbera also emphasizes "the artistic collaborations (of the actress) with some of the most important European actors and directors: Roger Vadim, Jacques Demy, Luis Buñuel, François Truffaut, Roman Polanski, Marco Ferreri, Marcello Mastroianni and Gérard Depardieu".
During her long career, Catherine Deneuve has received numerous awards, including two Césars for best actress (in 1981 for "Le Dernier Métro" and in 1993 for "Indochine", also an Oscar for best foreign film), a Palme d honor at Cannes in 2005, as well as the Silver Bear for Best Artistic Contribution at Berlin in 2002 for "Eight Women" by François Ozon.
© 2022 AFP