Face of ‘La Dolce Vita’ and ‘8½’ by Fellini, she had her international consecration with ‘A Man, a Woman’ by Lelouch. He was 92 years old
by Rolling Stone
Photo: John Springer Collection/Corbis via Getty Images
Anouk Aimée, the symbolic face of French cinema (and beyond), has died at the age of 92. Born Nicole Françoise Florence Dreyfus to parents who were both actors, she began her career on screen at 15 years old. After some minor appearances, her definitive consecration arrives in Italy with Federico Fellini, who directs her in The sweet life (1960) e 8½ (1963), and in France in the same period with Jacques Demy in Lola – Woman of life (1961).
But what really made it known throughout the world, including Hollywood, is One man, one woman by Claude Lelouch, a sentimental cult film from 1966 in which she starred alongside Jean-Louis Trintignant and which won the Oscar for best foreign film.
They will follow The lost lover, One evening, a train (both 1968) e Foursome (1969), where it was directed by George Cukor. Will be directed by Lelouch again many more times: in Live to live (1967), I wonder if I would do it again (1976), the sequel A man, a woman today (1987), up to The best years of our livesthird and final chapter, released in 2019, of the film that made her an icon.
Italian cinema will want her back in 1980 Leap into the void by Marco Bellocchio, thanks to which he won the Prix d’interprétation féminine at the Cannes Film Festival, and then for The tragedy of a ridiculous man (1981) by Bernardo Bertolucci.
In 1994 he was in the ensemble cast of Ready-to-wear by Robert Altman, an ironic fresco on the world of Parisian fashion in which she plays a stylist and on whose set she finds Marcello Mastroianni. In 2003 she was awarded the Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement at the Berlin Film Festival. During her long career she has won a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and an honorary César, and was nominated for an Oscar as best actress, obviously for One man, one woman.
