By love-89.com Isabelle Huppert, the legendary French actress, is acclaimed internationally and has received numerous awards throughout her career. Notably, she is the only actress to have won the Best Actress award at both the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals twice each. This year, she also had the honor of serving as the president of the jury for the Venice Film Festival. Two years ago, she was awarded the honorary Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, making her an unparalleled figure in the world of cinema, achieving a rare “grand slam” among the three major international film festivals.
In her latest film, “My New Friends,” which was nominated for this year’s Berlin Film Festival, Huppert takes on the challenging role of a police officer for the first time. This film marks a reunion with the renowned director André Téchiné, with whom she last collaborated nearly fifty years ago. Téchiné praised Huppert, stating that she has remained true to the essence of her craft, delivering a performance that is both pure and captivating.
Since beginning her career in the 1970s, Huppert has accumulated over a hundred film credits. After portraying a police department translator in “Mama Weed,” she now takes on the role of Lucy, a forensic police officer in “My New Friends.” In the film, Lucy is depicted facing the grief of losing her husband. However, her life takes a turn when she becomes acquainted with a neighbor’s family, only to discover that the father is an activist against police violence, previously imprisoned for his protests. This revelation leads Lucy into a moral struggle between her professional ethics and her neighborly bonds.
To prepare for her role, Huppert visited the precinct to observe forensic personnel up close. She emphasized that the film aims to shed light on the “dark side of the protectors of the people,” highlighting the psychological fragility of police officers who often struggle to uphold their rights and lack resources.
“My New Friends” is directed by the esteemed 81-year-old French filmmaker André Téchiné, who previously garnered acclaim for “Rendez-vous,” winning Best Director at Cannes. Having collaborated with Huppert 45 years ago, Téchiné described their reunion as preserving the innocence of her performance: “She remains as pure and captivating as a big sister to the little girl in the film, providing me with a fresh perspective.” The movie explores themes of labor rights within the police force and the rising presence of anarchist protest groups, known as the “Black Bloc.” Huppert reflects, “This is a hallmark of the director’s creative approach—merging romantic emotions with social issues within his films.”