in tears, Bérénice Bejo talks about her naturalization

“France must be proud of the people it has welcomed.” Born in Argentina before growing up in France, Bérénice Bejo is currently back on stage, at Studio Marigny, for the adaptation of Maria Larrea's book, People from Bilbao are born wherever they want. The play traces the story of Maria and her parents, who flee Franco's Spain to take refuge in France. Bérénice Bejo plays Maria, her father Julian, her mother Victoria, and a whole gallery of characters.

Guest on the show “Clique”, the 48-year-old actress did not hide her emotion when journalist Pauline Clavière recalled her roots. “You have naturalized French and you also say that this is the moment that touches you the most in this room People from Bilbao are born wherever they want…” introduces Mouloud Achour's columnist. Before being interrupted by Bérénice Bejo. “I know what you’re going to say. When I say that I am at home?”, she says. “Yes, that’s it. When she returns to Paris, she says she is going home… and so are you,” continues Pauline Clavière. “Well yes,” replies the actress, suddenly overwhelmed by emotion.

“We are going through a difficult time”

“Why does this move you so much?” continues the journalist. “Because…” begins the wife of Michel Hazanavicius, her eyes misty. Stopping for a few seconds to think, the actress ends up bursting into tears. “Wait,” she blurted. “You are welcome. Is this your place today?”, the journalist asked. Bérénice Bejo agrees. “And you feel like it’s been a long road to finally have this be your home?” Response from the main person concerned: “It's my home and… France is a welcoming country which must be proud of the people it has welcomed. And we are going through a difficult moment, where we reject all of this and we want to have a very tough immigration policy. And so, it’s true that every evening, when I say: “I’m here at home.” It's as if I wanted to send a message to these 300 people in the room and tell them: “Here, I didn't steal anything, my parents didn't steal anything, I worked hard. And today, you are proud of me, of the actress that I have become, of this career that I have had””, insists the one who received the César for best actress for her role in The Artist in 2012 and the Best Actress Prize at Cannes the following year for The Past.

With a lump in her throat, she adds that she is “very grateful to France”. “I think that [l’immigration] it is also an asset for France and so I want to tell them that we must welcome people. We must welcome them well, we must give them the opportunity to be important for France.” Every night, I say to myself: “Okay, come on, I’m not going to cry when I say this sentence.” And every evening, I look at people and I say to them: “You are here this evening to come see me but in fact I am Argentinian, I was not born in France and yet you love me.” Every night I go through this, it’s complicated.”

Bérénice Bejo continues her plea by recalling her chance to live in France. “When I see this young Iranian girl in her underwear, all I want to do is go out into the street and put on my underwear,” she laments. We are lucky to be in France and we must continue to welcome people who have no choice. And my parents had no choice.” A cry from the heart that moved more than one. The sequence has already been viewed by more than 190,000 Internet users on Instagram.