Interview with Vanessa Paradis in Vogue Nippon (Jan. 2000)
Interview and Text : Mariko Omura
Translation by Kyoko

I'm watching a wonderful Polaroid photo. Johnny Depp placed his right cheek against a lovely baby girl's face tightly. The name of the baby who has a round face and was facing to the camera is Lily Rose. And the baby's mom Vanessa Paradis now have it in her hand.

Can you tell me about the long monologue in "La Fille sur le pont"?

Vanessa(V) : This part is a very important beginning scene that must move audiences. If it fails, all following parts are damaged, aren't they? I tried not to overact very much -- to act naturally and not to act too much.

I heard your first take got "OK."

V : There was no problem for me to learn the monologue lines by heart. I had a lot of time after receiving the script. And I'd relished it a lot, because I read it over and over again. It's not like reading one line and then learning it by heart.

How do you think about the story?

V : This movie depicts an encounter. Though each of them doesn't have good luck, their lives are far happier while being together. The story develops in between the real world and the dream.

The character Adele was written for you, wasn't it?

V : Yes. But if it had not been so, I must have act the part, after reading the script. It has so beautiful story. I cannot express how wonderful the lines Serge Frydman wrote is. I loved the girl Adele, Gabor, the story itself, ...everything, so I took it.

Did you love it's a black and white film?

V : Oh, no. That hadn't been decided then. Patrice came up with the idea shortly after the shooting started.

This interview was done, while a tattoo artist was drawing a sketch of roses on her back. She wore a light pink cardigan around her body like a bustier. The tag of London boutique "Voyage" was seen inside the collar.

V : I bought these pants at the same shop. I have enough time for shopping. I select all my private clothes for myself. While shooting this movie, I talked with the staffs a lot about the make-up, the hairstyle, and especially clothes. I've known the designer Jean Colonna for a long time. We decided to ask him to design one of clothes then visited him. He suggested us a lot of ideas and in the end we asked him to design all clothes without the costumes on stages.

Do you have something in common with Adele?

V : Something in common with her? I think there is at most a little. Her personality is almost a child's. She has got hurt many times, she can't have confidence, and she is a frank disposition. She doesn't care about anything. I'm more skeptical and deliberate.

Do you feel as if you were the character, while shooting?

V : No. I'm sure not. I'm not an actress who falls into the character. But Adele is a very cheerful girl, though she has suffered many sad incidents. So I tried to keep myself cheerful and funny. I believe I was so happy to act this character. As the screenplay was written very well, I managed to enter her very easily in spite of the difference between her and I. It was very natural... What I was touched most while shooting was the scene at the parking lot in which Gabor threw knives at Adere in order to persuade her. I was so moved at this scene that my eyes filled with tears.

Patrice Leconte's comment about the monologue : She asked me to shoot this long scene at a time. I was touched a lot. As I knew she had already learned the lines by heart perfectly, I answered "yes." Of course we didn't rehearse. At the end she shed tears naturally, and I also moved to tears. When the shooting was finished, I hugged her unconsciously.

What is the happiest thing for you?

V : My acquaintances saw this movie that is my favorite, and loved it very much. This film is very special for me.

Mondino (before taking her photos) : You are incredible. I cannot realize when on earth you had a baby.

(Vanessa showed the Polaroid photo to us at once.)

M : Oh! Her nose looks like her dad's.

V : No! Only her nose is from mine. All the rest is from him.

Can you tell me the origin of the name, Lily-Rose Melody?

V : I had been at lost, because Lily and Rose are both my favorite names. Then, my mother advised me, "Why don't you name her both of them?" A terrific idea! If I'm asked who is your ideal woman now, I'll answer it's my mother. She is truly a wonderful woman. Melody? It's the homage to Serge Gainsbourg. It's a pretty name, isn't it? To tell the truth, I don't want to be apart from her even for a short time. I usually take her with me, but today I've not taken her here. Because I knew there are many people here and cigarette smoke should be terrible. I began to work very recently. I'd always been with her till then. I think the birth of a baby is the most beautiful gift from one's life. There must exist nothing that is dearer and sweeter than her for me.

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