Isabelle Huppert will receive the Prix Lumière at the Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, France on Friday, October 18, 2024. She will succeed Wim Wenders, who received the Prize in October 2023.
The Lumière festival is a global event dedicated to classic cinema. Every October, it is in Lyon, the birthplace of the Lumière Cinematograph, that the world of cinema celebrates its vitality and memory, through a contemporary visit to the works of the past (restored films, retrospectives, guests, tributes, film concerts, etc.). Thanks to all the movie theaters in Lyon and its Metropolis, the festival shines throughout the Lyon metropolitan area and reaches a wide audience.
The Lumière Award , given each year to a cinema personality for their entire body of work.
In 2023, Wim Wenders received the Lumière Award and succeeded Tim Burton, Jane Campion, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Francis Ford Coppola, Jane Fonda, Wong Kar-wai, Catherine Deneuve, Martin Scorsese, Pedro Almodóvar, Quentin Tarantino, Gérard Depardieu, Ken Loach, Milos Forman and Clint Eastwood. Retrospectives dedicated to the great filmmakers who have made or are still making the history of cinema, of all genres, of all eras.
Her career embraces an immense part of the history of contemporary cinema. She has collaborated with auteurs from all over the world: the greatest French filmmakers, the big names of European cinema, the Asian New Wave, American independent filmmakers. A filmography of unique breadth and impact, admired by Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Sean Penn and Natalie Portman.
“It is a great honour for me to receive the Prix Lumière.
It is a magnificent prize, just like its festival. And it is a prize that bears the name of the inventors of cinema! Receiving it is a joy and a source of pride,” the actress told the festival organisers.
Isabelle Huppert is one of the most famous and celebrated French actresses in the world. The young leading lady with the luscious features of Claude Goretta’s The Lacemaker has established herself with the greatest filmmakers of her country: Claude Chabrol, who directed her seven times, notably in Violette Nozière or Une Affaire de femmes , Jean-Luc Godard, Claire Denis, Bertrand Tavernier, Diane Kurys, Maurice Pialat, Catherine Breillat, Michel Deville, François Ozon, André Téchiné, etc. Attentive to the great European authors, she also worked for Joseph Losey, Marco Ferreri and Michael Haneke, who in 2001 offered her the striking title role in The Pianist and Paul Verhoeven, for whom she starred in the 2016 thriller Elle , which earned her an Oscar nomination. From the beginning of her career, her insatiable curiosity and her taste for unique experiences led her to the United States, where she starred in Michael Cimino’s legendary Heaven’s Gate (1980), but also more recently to the Philippines and South Korea, where she played under the direction of Brillante Mendoza and Hong Sang-soo. Able to move from a sophisticated comedy to a demanding auteur film, she never stops filming, making each of her characters a unique enigma that she enriches with her naturalness and irony.
Isabelle Huppert film highlights
Isabel Hubbert who dazzles on screen and on stage, who lends herself to the lenses of photography and fashion, who has won the greatest international film awards including two Best Actress Awards at the Cannes Film Festival, where she was President of the Jury in 2009.
The Lacemaker (1977)
Then 24, Huppert established herself as a leading lady (and won a Bafta) in this delicate character study, playing an introverted, virginal young woman driven to madness by her first love affair. Those familiar with Huppert’s signature severity in her later career may be startled by her soft vulnerability here.
Story of Women (1988)
Huppert’s collaboration with director Claude Chabrol spanned seven films, winning her a César for La Cérémonie, a Cannes award for Violette Nozière, and a Venice prize for this, the best of them: playing real-life abortionist Marie-Louise Giraud, guillotined in 1943 for her services to women, she’s steely and shattering.
The Piano Teacher (2001)
Huppert joined the elite group of two-time Cannes best actress winners with her fearless performance in Michael Haneke’s scarring psychodrama. As a sexually repressed conservatory professor entering a sadomasochistic relationship with a much younger student, she revitalised her career on bold new terms.
Things to Come (2016)
An annus mirabilis for Huppert began with her disarmingly funny, wounded turn as a philosophy teacher blindsided by divorce in Mia Hansen-Løve’s exquisitely observed story of middle-aged liberation. In her later career, the actor has rarely been this gently ordinary on screen; it’s a light-touch performance that still cuts deep.
Elle (2016)
Mere months after Things to Come, Huppert pivoted back into lightning-rod territory in Paul Verhoeven’s dark psychothriller, playing a rape survivor who initiates a perverse cat-and-mouse game with her assailant. It may be the quintessential Huppert role, marrying roiling psychological curiosity with acid wit, and it earned her a belated first Oscar nomination.
Huppert, is also well known for her dedication to various causes, particularly those related to human rights, social justice, and the arts. Some of the causes she supports include:
- Human Rights: Huppert is an advocate for human rights, often using her platform to speak out against injustices. She has been involved in campaigns and initiatives that focus on the protection of human rights globally.
- Women’s Rights and Gender Equality: Huppert has been vocal about gender equality in the film industry and beyond. She has supported initiatives that promote the rights of women and aim to address gender disparities.
- Cultural and Artistic Promotion: As a prominent figure in the arts, Huppert supports the promotion of culture and artistic expression. She has been involved in various film festivals and cultural events that aim to highlight diverse voices and foster artistic creativity.
- Environmental Advocacy: Though not as prominent as her other causes, Huppert has shown support for environmental initiatives, reflecting her awareness of global environmental issues.
- Support for Refugees: Huppert has also been supportive of refugee rights, participating in events and campaigns that aim to raise awareness about the plight of refugees and the need for humane treatment and support for displaced individuals.
Her involvement in these causes reflects her commitment to using her influence to promote positive change in society via the platform she shines on.
The Prix Lumière was created by Thierry Frémaux to celebrate a personality for their entire body of work and the connection they have with the history of cinema. Over the years, it has become one of the most prestigious awards, recognized by the profession and the international press.
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