Six times nominated for the César as screenwriter and director, Danièle Thompson has never won a statuette.
But she will preside at the age of 80, on February 25, the 47th edition of the ceremony which rewards the best of French film production.
The author of
La Bûche
and
Armchair of the Orchestra
thus succeeds Roschdy Zem at the head of an evening which seeks to regain legitimacy and popularity after several years of controversy (Polanski, lack of transparency of the former direction under Alain Terzian , striptease by Corinne Masiero).
Read alsoThe list of César 2022 unveiled Wednesday against a backdrop of doubts for French cinema
With the choice of Danièle Thompson, the Académie des César honors
"the one who, with her modern pen, chiseled dialogues, has been able to trace a unique path, between auteur films and popular comedies"
.
And to recall the precocious talent of this child of the ball at a good school: “
His career began in the 1960s, in a cinematographic environment which was still very masculine.
She initially worked alongside her father, Gérard Oury, and wrote some of the greatest successes of French cinema
(La Grande Vadrouille, La Folie des grandeurs, L'As des As)
.
Read alsoDanièle Thompson: "To abstain is to turn your back on everything that excites us"
The Caesars may also be repairing a form of forgetfulness.
Some moviegoers also suggested on Tuesday that the Academy would have done better to award him an honorary Cesar (reserved this year for Cate Blanchett).
The Césars waited until 1994 to award him a first nomination for his fabulous adaptation of
La Reine Margot
by Patrice Chéreau, with Isabelle Adjani.
By way of comparison, the Oscars, across the Atlantic, saluted her unique style in 1977 by nominating her for her work on
Cousin, Cousin
by Jean-Charles Tacchella.
The film will also earn a selection in the best actress category for its star, Marie-Christine Barrault.
Read alsoDanièle Thompson, the perfect friend
1999 marked another turning point with
La Bûche
, for which she wrote the screenplay with her son Christopher and, for the first time, directed it.
The Césars will retain the comedy in the best first film section.
Charlotte Gainsbourg to win the César for Best Supporting Actress.
On a miniseries project on Brigitte Bardot
Five other achievements will follow:
Jet lag
in 2002;
"Orchestra armchairs"
in 2006, César for best actress in a supporting role for Valérie Lemercier and new nomination for best original screenplay;
"The Code Has Changed"
in 2009;
“People Kissing”
in 2013;
"Cézanne and me"
in 2016.
Read alsoThe pretty memories of the Oury clan at auction in Saint-Tropez
From now on, she is preparing for France Télévisions, still with her son Christopher, who has just released his first feature
Tendre et Saignant
, a biographical series on Brigitte Bardot.
Entitled
BB
, the project was to start filming in February, TéléStar believed.
It is still unclear who will lend his features to the French icon.
Now under the tutelage of Véronique Cayla and the filmmaker Éric Toledano, the Césars and their desire for reform are expected at the turn.
Their nominations are expected tomorrow morning.
French cinema having had an exceptional year with the palme d'or awarded to Titane by Audrey Ducournau and the golden lion awarded to L'Événement by Audrey Diwan, all eyes are on the Académie des César to find out whether it will embrace the same renewal and bring the same recognition to female talent.
To date, only a filmmaker, Tonie Marshall, has been crowned with the statuette for best director and has triumphed over the boys club of the 7th art.
