“Women have difficulty recognizing their successes, me first”

Faithful to Claude Lelouch, who recently directed her in Eventuallymoving as Simone Veil in the biopic with 2.5 million admissions, Elsa Zylberstein also masters the little mechanics of laughter, which she recently honed on the sets of Natasha and of It was better tomorrow, with Didier Bourdon.

Madame Figaro . – My link with the L’Alpe-d’Huez Festival?
Elsa Zylberstein. – I only have good memories there since I received the prize for female interpretation twice, for Table plan et Everything smiles on us. I love this event, the energy of which is incomparable. It’s just fun.

The festival in three words?
User-friendliness. Sharing. Burst… of laughter. Everything I need right now.

What will I do there outside of the screenings?
Eating raclettes and waffles while talking about cinema and laughing with my friends on the jury: Noémie Saglio, Izïa Higelin, Gustave Kervern, Ken Scott and Tom Leeb. I love skiing, but I’ll stick to dark rooms. No unnecessary risks.

What makes me laugh?
I like films that are “funny but not only that.” The greatest comedies often start from great dramas: I’m thinking of the films of Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano, or of The Great Mop, which I often watched with my father. I also have a natural penchant for the offbeat, daring, politically incorrect humor of the Farrelly brothers, Adam McKay, Amy Schumer, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, whom I adore Fleabagor Le Splendid, in France. The Bronzed et Santa Claus is trash remain essential.

A recent dinner with my friend Gad Elmaleh gave me the dose of endorphins I was missing

Elsa Zylberstein

Is humor a weapon?
I really believe in this quote: “Humor is the politeness of despair.” Laughter saves you from everything, including annoying and uncomfortable situations.

My last laugh?
I just discovered The Flame, by Jonathan Cohen: I can’t get over it. A recent dinner with my friend Gad Elmaleh also gave me the dose of endorphins I was lacking.

Is talking about myself in promos a chore?
It’s special, but it’s part of the job! On the other hand, I refuse to talk about my private life.

I’m proud of myself when I finish a film and give time to others

Elsa Zylberstein

A misunderstanding about me?
When I started, I remember an article that insisted on my supposed lightness, just because the journalist had noticed two or three outfits hanging in my hotel room for my prom day. I don’t like being reduced to a form of superficiality. I don’t recognize myself in it at all.

What do I like people to say about me?
I like journalists who avoid shortcuts. I want all facets of my personality to count when someone paints my portrait.

Do I lie in interviews?
No, but I should. If only to have a little fun…

I am inhabited by the desire to play, to transmit, to share

Elsa Zylberstein

Still the sacred fire?
Such. Since I was 18, he has animated my days and ruled my life. I am driven by the desire to play, to transmit, to share. After Simone : the trip of the centuryI received messages from young girls for whom the film had, for example, sparked careers as lawyers. Cinema doesn’t change the world, but if it shapes destinies, that’s already enormous.

The last time I was proud of myself?
Women have difficulty recognizing their successes, me first and foremost. But I’m proud of myself when I finish a film and give time to others.

What I’m going to do after this interview ?
My luggage to go on vacation.

Alpe-d’Huez International Comedy Film Festival, from January 13 to 19. festival-alpedhuez.com