NEWS: NOVEMBER/DECEMBER  2007

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PARIS - French opponents of capital punishment have lashed out against China's use of the death penalty and the International Olympic Committee's decision to give the 2008 Summer Games to Beijing by running a TV commercial.  The 45-second ad - directed by Vincent Perez, for the DOG production company - is being released for public service use in French and English version across Europe as abolitionists commemorate the 20-year anniversary of France's 1981 decision to ban the death penalty. Set in a packed stadium, the ad tracks from a Chinese athlete preparing for an upcoming sprint to a meet official armed with a traditional starting pistol. The official raises his arm, as if to start the race, but instead presses the gun to the back of the athlete's head. Subsequently emerging text informs viewers that there have been "29,000 executions in China over the past 10 years," and demands: "How many more between now and the 2008 Olympics?" The new campaign - expected to win public service airtime across Europe - is the second such spot designed by FCB Netbrand for the Paris-based capital punishment lobby ECPM (Ensemble Contre la Peine de Mort -Together Against the Death Penalty).

Isn't this a great pic? So often photographers have him brooding, but here he's more like himself - happy and a bit shy. I can't tell you where or when, but Vincent modeled for Hermes and this ad appeared in a magazine, possibly Gentleman's Quarterly, since food critic Alan Richman was featured on the other side of this page. The caption reads - "Soft, easy, fabrics mark the refined Hermes style - Actor Vincent Perez chooses a sporty look."

A friend has emailed me some insider news. While on holiday last month, she met a woman who worked as Vincent's technical collaborator on Peau d'ange. He was described in the same words we have heard before - rather shy, nice, friendly and yes, gorgeous. When filming came to an end, the whole ensemble celebrated with a wonderful party. Iman, Vincent's two-year-old daughter, was present and got to dance in her daddy's arms. His wife, Karine, co-wrote the script and has a minor role in the movie as well.

The first annual Marrakech International Film Festival took place in Rabat, Morocco, from September 28 to October 2. Vincent was not scheduled to attend, but when several American actors (such as Faye Dunaway, Matt Dillon and Andie McDowell) declined to attend after the terrorist attacks, that encouraged others to lend their support to the festival. Those supporters included Vincent, Patrice Chereau and Frederic Mitterrand.

Benjamin de Vulpillieres just sent an article to me in regard to a human rights issue. Last Friday a concert was held at the Chateau de Vincennes to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the abolition of the death penalty in France. Among the artists present in support of banishing executions throughout the world were Jane Birkin and Vincent.

Vincent will star alongside Guillaume Depardieu in Le Pharmacien de garde, which will begin filming October 29 in Paris and should be completed by the beginning of next year. This will be the directorial debut for Jean Veber, son of Francis Veber, director & writer for the recent acclaimed comedy, Le Placard (The Closet) starring Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu - see it if you haven't already! The film will tell the story of a friendship between a police officer and a serial killer. For the moment, there is no info on which role Vincent will have, though it would be difficult to imagine our sweet man as a serial killer! He is also slated to star in a remake of Fanfan la Tulipe next year.

When Le Libertin came to the British cinema in May of this year, an article in This is London entitled "Naked Ambition from Perez" featured the following comments from Vincent:

The film is set in the elegant late 18th century in France when the State, in alliance with the Church, had banned the Encyclopedia published under the direction of the great French philosopher Denis Diderot. They chose the wrong man because Diderot was not only an intellectual libertine but an innovator who knew no limits. His mind was astonishing. It was as fertile as his ability to seduce.

I play Diderot who, with his wife and daughter is visiting the chateau of the Baroness d'Holbach (Josiane Balasko), where the encyclopedia is being illicitly printed. Then the adventurous Madame Therbouche, an artist played by Fanny Ardant arrives. She becomes the leading lady of Diderot's already substantial cast of women with whom he discusses, shall we say, "philosophical and physiological matters". This throws the cardinal, played by Michel Serrault, into hell because he, too, is a man with desires - but his dream is to end the emerging rationalism, epitomized by Diderot.

I spend much of the film, directed by Gabriel Aghion (Belle Maman), in the nude. I am not an exhibitionist - although I think all actors are a little bit like that - but I felt these scenes were logical "reflections on nature". We see nude women on screen all the time, why not men?

I am drawn to free thought and free spirit more than I am to free sex. I think my Catholic education probably saw to that. Even now the questions Diderot brought up about life are valid.

Here's a photo from 1989 of Vincent with Jacqueline Bisset. The two became lovers during the filming of La Maison de Jade, though she was almost 20 years older. I read that their courtship ended when it became too difficult to continue a relationship between LA and Paris. Ms. Bisset has never married. She has been quoted as saying, "marriage takes the romance out of a relationship." I wonder what Vincent would say now that he's married. Another ex-girlfriend, top model Carla Bruni, made headlines in July with the birth of her son, Aurelien. Her fiance is a philosophy teacher. And Vincent became an uncle again. His sister-in-law, Virginia Silla and Luc Besson had a daughter on August 1st. The pair are producers for Vincent's film, Peau d'ange.