In 2016, Audrey Tautou covered the song The Bad Reputation by Georges Brassens because following the paths that do not lead to Rome seemed rather good to him. It was Tonie Marshall who gave him his chance in Venus Beauty (institute)with the added bonus of the César for Most Promising Actress in 2000. Then Jean-Pierre Jeunet also fell for her and decided to trust her and propel her to the forefront of the international scene through her role in The fabulous destiny of Amélie Poulain. This film and this role were a turning point and a springboard since there was a before and after Amélie Poulain with proposals coming from all over the world. Even the Chanel brand made her its muse. So, yes, Audrey is a star, a real one and she writes it in her book Superfacial published by Fisheye editions which presents his work as a photographer.
franceinfo: You are a star who has kept her feet on the ground, far from the glitter so as not to get lost. And we have the impression that this work is first of all a way of saying that you are a girl like any other.
Audrey Tautou: Yes, it’s true. Perhaps that’s why I viewed this adventure of celebrity from a distance, with amusement and with a certain lightness, which I tried to bring to life in this book.
We have the impression that there is also a need, through these clichés, to fight against clichés.
It’s true, we are often put on a kind of pedestal by attributing to us powers that we don’t have at all. Often, we fantasized that I could meet anyone, and ultimately this kind of little power which is still quite superficial, I can only look at it with amusement.
“It’s true that the star system for me is something that has always made me laugh a little.”
Audrey Tautouat franceinfo
Who even scared you at times?
Oh yes, at the beginning yes.
It really came to upset the young girl you were after Venus Beauty (institute). In 2001, everything came together and it was a kind of tidal wave, which stole part of your freedom and your life.
That’s exactly it. I experienced it as an obstacle to my freedom. And it’s true that the months that followed, what I call this kind of tsunami with the release ofAmélie and this fame which arrived very quickly, was that I could no longer take the metro and therefore I could no longer move around freely. I had forgotten that it had been something extremely painful for me, whereas normally, I should have been happy to have a car, taxis, precisely to get out of the underground. But that wasn’t my case at all.
When this success arrived, did you understand that there was going to be a before and an after?
I was alerted a lot and this is what I rediscovered by consulting my logbooks and deciding to put them in the book. I was told, “EsAre you aware that this will really change your life?“And I write it: “but I’ve become completely stupid, but I can’t understand what they mean”. It’s true that we don’t experience things in the same way at the start, when suddenly we are looked at differently and especially when the relationships we could have with others, our close or less close entourage for that matter, suffer. this influence, this small change. The bases are being transformed.
Let’s talk about the choice of film because there has always been, even in your choices, of the films in which you have shot, a laboratory side.
“Why do I like film? It’s because I love surprises!”
Audrey Tautouat franceinfo
When we use film to take photographs, we are surprised to see if it is successful or not. This little time which exists between the moment when we put down our film and the moment when we go to pick it up, creates a kind of distance which means that when we find these images, it provokes an emotion. So either it’s dismay and disappointment as has often happened to me, or when I manage to feel the emotion that I hoped to feel when looking at this photo, there, it’s an excitement that I don’t only know photography.
We discover your writing in cursive letters. When we show our writing, we really delve into the person’s innermost being.
It’s true. Afterwards, I do things a lot with instinct and writing, so it seems obvious, but it’s true that she resembles me and I think that is perhaps what is most intimate, more than a self-portrait through which there is still a filter. Writing with the words we choose, the turns of phrase we decide on, with its errors, its mistakes, moreover, I kept some on purpose. There was the proofreader who, for certain turns of phrase, advised me to do it differently because it was more correct, but that’s not how my brain or my thoughts would have said it. And even if it’s less perfect, it’s more me.
There’s one thing that hasn’t changed, and that’s your look. We have the impression that he is still as determined and as curious as ever. Is that the most important thing?
It’s true that I’m someone who is very curious about people, a country, a culture, a work, it’s certain that I’m someone who amazes me of nothing.
