“People often say about me that I’m too nice”

Actress, director, women's rights activist, producer, president of the Twin Sisters Festival… Julie Gayet seemed to have all the strings to her bow. Three decades after the start of her career, she today plays the character furthest from her personality. In Six daysa genre film by Juan Carlos Medina which will be released in theaters on January 1, 2025, she slips into the shoes of a grieving mother, ready to do anything to find the man who once kidnapped her daughter. To do this, she has a major ally: Malik, a police inspector played by Sami Bouajila. A role in which Julie Gayet surpasses herself – as she so loves to do.

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Between hell and paradise

Madame Figaro. – What made you want to play in Juan Carlos Medina's film?
Julie Gayet. – I love genre films. I remember The Feline (1982), d’Alien (1979), and feature films by David Lynch. The thriller Six daysby Juan Carlos Medina, is like a page turner. We want to know how it ends. When I discovered the script, I told myself that certain scenes were going to be incredible to shoot. I started filming with the poster. It was pouring down rain, we were running, we were soaked. It was incredible visually, it looked like a ballet with the extras. I told myself that we were making a very strong and emotional film. The fact of giving the answer to Sami Bouajila was also an argument for accepting this role. He is certainly one of the best actors of our generation. He almost doesn't play, he lets himself be crossed.

My character is as dark, hard, violent, as I can be smiling and light

Julie Gayet

How would you describe your character in the film? What fascinated you about her?
My character and that of Sami Bouajila are very solitary. Their only reason for living is for justice to be done. I was very surprised when I received the script, because I told myself that my character was my opposite. She is as dark, hard, violent, as I can be smiling and light. People often say that I'm too nice. She, not at all. I've been waiting for a long time to be offered a role so different from me. When Juan Carlos told me, “I imagine her to be a brunette with short hair,” I replied, “Great.” I loved composing this character.

Was there a scene you dreaded performing?
The one I dreaded was the one where my character discovers that his daughter is dead. We filmed it in Dunkirk, on this dike at the end of the world, in an incredible location. With all these factories, we had the impression of being in Blade Runner (1982). And on the other side, there was the sea, deserted beaches. We were between hell and heaven. It was very strange. It was dark, there was sandstorm, apocalyptic conditions. It was truly the character's nightmare, a scene of terror.

Behind the camera

Your character is ready to do anything for love. For you, how far can we go for love, whether romantic, friendly or familial?
I have often told my children that love should be simple. I discovered this a little late. It was crazy how much of myself I was. In any case, we must not transform ourselves for love. We are a generation of women who grew up with Disney, the impression that our prince charming will come… I am happy when I see films like Barbie (2023), by Greta Gerwig, who humorously mock this sexism. Today, there are models, incredible female characters, it feels good. And then, there are new stories carried by female directors. Recently I saw Twenty Gods by Louise Courvoisier, and I loved it.

You must not transform yourself for love

Julie Gayet

You yourself recently went behind the camera to make a film on Olympe de Gouges. What did this experience bring you?
It took me a while to do it. It’s a bit like that female imposter syndrome. It took me ten years to set up my production company. I said that I didn't want to direct a film, nor act in the ones I produced. And then, finally, it was through these subjects that interest me, female directors, the place of women in cinema, that I started making documentaries with Mathieu Busson. It was almost obvious to co-direct this film together about Olympe de Gouges. But then again, I didn't want to play in it. If he hadn't been there, I would have refused. This imposter syndrome is still pretty crazy. Dare, girls, dare! Having made this film has not changed my view of directors. But he helped me understand them.

Ten years ago, you actually realized Filmmakers a documentary on the place of women in the world of cinema. How has the situation of women in this environment changed since then?
I thought progress would go faster. In 2017 at least, I had that hope. Moreover, the 50/50 Collective was called the 50/50 Collective for 2020, before we removed the 2020, because we are in 2025 and there is still no parity in the middle of cinema. But what’s pretty great is this sisterhood in the industry. Olympe de Gouges was already talking about it. She wondered when women would stop opposing each other. Having experienced this era when there was competition between actresses, I find that it has completely changed. There is goodwill between us, we are united. Having references on set, the possibility of speaking, of protecting ourselves, of expressing ourselves has done a lot for us. It's very important that there are intimacy coordinators, just like there are stunt adjusters. In any case, there is progress, but there is not yet equal pay.

Adèle Haenel’s speech

You have been involved in the fight for women's rights for a long time. How did you react to the comments of Adèle Haenel, who accuses the director Christophe Ruggia of having sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager?
Adèle Haenel's words are extremely nuanced and intelligent. For his first speech in Mediapart she explained that there were no monsters, that the predators were sometimes our brothers, our fathers, our neighbors, that there was a distorted vision of rape, the balance of power. It's quite terrible to see Christophe Ruggia's lack of awareness, as if there was a denial, a refusal to admit the question of consent. I am extremely admiring of Adèle Haenel. We tried to make a caricature of him because of his reaction during the 2021 Césars. But nothing was wrong with these Césars. Today, we wouldn't do the same thing again.

Did you follow the Mazan rape trial?
The trial of Dominique Pelicot is really this idea of ​​the predator, and at the same time when we see the accused, it's banal. And to think that some people question sex education in middle and high school, which is still compulsory… This is a misunderstanding of young people. It's terrible, because girls and boys must move forward together on these issues. I think that's why I realized Olympe de Gougesthat I am speaking in middle and high schools at the moment, that I am talking to them about consent, parity, equality. It's not at all a story of men versus women. It’s a collective awareness. I have two sons, and we talk about it often. They tell me: “Oh well, there’s no equal pay?” For them, it should be self-evident.

For my two sons, equal pay comes naturally

Julie Gayet

You are a director, producer and actress. You also initiated the Twin Sisters Festival. After more than 30 years of career, what can we still wish for you?
My baby, it’s the Twin Sisters Festival in Rochefort. I wanted an event where there were concerts, previews, music. Where we come to discover groups and where directors come to talk about their relationship with music. We now need to open the festival internationally. We have a few years ahead of us. It was also in my guts to make this film about Olympe de Gouges. I said to Mathieu Busson: “Do we agree that there are still many films, portraits of women to be made?” We are talking about cancel culture. I'm talking about bright culture. I'm not interested in erasing, I prefer to highlight those that we haven't talked about. We are currently working on a film dedicated to Louise Michel. We're not finished…