2024 News - The Vincent Perez Archives

02 December 2024

Since the Marrakech International Film Festival began in 2001, Vincent and his wife have frequented this Morrocan annual event about a dozen times. On November 29th, they attended the opening ceremony and screening of "The Order", starring Jude Law.

The next day they were photographed on the red carpet for a tribute to Sean Penn. Though I love his magnetic performances - a genius actor - the man himself annoys me off screen. He ended up rambling on to the audience, airing his complaints against the Academy, not exactly an appropriate time to rant. I noted that among the many films presented at this year's festival was Mohammad Rasoulof's "The Seed of the Sacred Fig," an Oscar nominee and strongly recommended by this cinephile.

23 October 2024

Attending this festival annually, Vincent is photographed at the 15th edition of the Festival Lumiere in Lyon, France, on October 18th. The evening's special event was the awarding of this year's Lumière Award to Isabelle Huppert. She's always been one of my favorite French actresses.

29 September 2024

In a symbolic ceremony in Paris, Naomi Campbell was knighted as a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her enduring influence and her relentless advocacy for diversity in the fashion industry. The ceremony took place on September 26 at the French Ministry of Culture, officiated by Minister Rachida Dati. Vincent, wife Karine, and sister-in-law Virginie Silla-Besson were in attendance.

10 June 2024

25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE VINCENT PEREZ ARCHIVES

And Vincent turns 60!

30 April 2024

The photos below show Vincent with his wife paying their respects at the funeral of Jean-Stanislas Poniatowski, 88-year-old father of their designer friend, Sarah Lavoine. The ceremony took place at the Polish church in Paris on April 29.

A screening of "Une affaire d'honneur" was held at the BCN Film Festival in Barcelona, Spain. The photo below is a portrait taken on April 19th and the rest of the photos were taken the following day.

During an interview at the festival, Vincent was asked about the concept of honor. He responded, "I have shown the film in Asia, specifically in Hong Kong and Singapore, and no one asked me about honor. For them, it is totally normal; in fact, they question the integrity of the person dressed in honor. It is very present and something that we all carry with us... This idea of integrity is like something very intimate, and I thought it would be interesting to raise this question. And of course, also the issue of reputation, right? They go hand in hand.

Another interviewer at the festival remarked - "The first thing that strikes you about Vincent Perez is his charisma (that mischievous smile), his evident elegance (classic yet modern), and his willingness to engage in conversation." Absolutely!

As an aside, every time I hear the word "Barcelona", I remember Vincent's role in the HBO film, "Shot Through the Heart." which was the first time I was aware of the Swiss actor. When he and his friend discover they will be going to Barcelona for the Olympics, Vincent screams, "Barcelona!" with such excitement and camaraderie in the moment. Love that scene!

08 April 2024

On April 6, Vincent attended the funeral of French businessman Jean-Yves Le Fur, who died of pancreatic cancer on March 31 at the age of 59 years old. The ceremony was held at the Saint-Roch church in Paris. Many celebrities attended the event including Vincent's friends - Carla Bruni, Virginie Ledoyan, Marie Gillain and his brother-in-law, Luc Besson.

22 March 2024

Two of Vincent's films were screened this week at Italy's Bari International Film Festival. In the morning of March 20th, "Alone in Berlin" was shown at the Petruzzelli, where Vincent was asked numerous questions from the audience. In the afternoon, he met with the press and then in the evening, "Une affaire d'honneur" was screened. But before the screening, he was given the Federico Fellini Platinum Award for Cinematic Excellence by Fellini's niece Francesca. She also gave him a red nose souvenir from her short film, "La Fellinette".

Motivation for the Fellini Award to Vincent Perez:

From his earliest films, Vincent Perez has stood out for his ability to bring to the big screen diverse characters in a wide variety of international films. He has acted in a vast range of film genres, including dramas, action and romantic films and thrillers.

Vincent Perez, by now celebrating a career which spans 30 years, is an accomplished artist who has remained true to himself, while at the same time bringing different roles to life, thus giving us unforgettable characters not only for their complexity, irony or fragility but also, at times, for their determination and readiness to fight for what they believe in.

Vincent Perez has dedicated himself to serving the vision of directors and authors, enabling them to take full advantage of the great strength of his talent –not bad for a Swiss boy who wanted to become an actor after watching a Charlie Chaplin film at the age of seven.

For these visible and tangible sentiments evidenced in his cinematography, he is awarded the Federicao Fellini Platinum Award for Cinematic Excellence.

Here are some photos from this year's Think Cinema in Lausanne:

With the theme of dancing at the cinema, several dance-related films were shown, including a screening of "Bolero", one of Vincent's latest films. It made its official premiere on March 6th in Belgium,

21 February 2024

The 7th edition of the Think Cinema Lausanne Festival will take place from March 7 to 17, 2024. The theme will be dancing at the cinema. As usual, there will be screenings of heritage masterpieces, chats with prestigious guests, concerts, masterclasses and workshops. Paying homage to the 6th Art – dance – is also paying homage to the 7th, and at the same time touching on one of the cultural assets of the City of Lausanne, its numerous events, dance schools, the Prix de Lausanne, and of course the historic Béjart Ballet. Some of the films to be shown are "LaLaLand", "Chicago", "Fame", "All that Jazz" and "Saturday Night Fever". My favorite dance film is "Nijinsky" (1980) starring the beloved Alan Bates and Jeremy Irons (guest of last year's festival. The poster is taken from Stanley Donen's film "Funny Face" and this 7th edition will pay tribute to Audrey Hepburn, who was destined for a career as a dancer but went on to become a major film actress. Favorite Hepburn movie? "Love in the Afternoon" (1957). The tribute to Audrey must please Vincent's daughter Iman, who is inspired by the actress. In the following photo, I think Iman displays a resemblance.

02 February 2024

"Une Affaire d'Honneur" was screened at Sweden's Göteborg Film Festival |on the evenings of January 30 and 31. Vincent and his wife were present both nights to answer questions from the audience. Here is a portrait taken at the festival.

A Swedish critic wrote, "Beautiful fight choreography, some witty lines and solid performances make this a more than ok film. There can be made parallels between, on one hand, 19th century misogyny and misplaced ideas of honor, and on the other hand, contemporary misplaced ideas of "honour" and still rampant misogyny." Another reviewer wrote, "Both during fencing practice and at the bohemian free-for-all after-party. Vincent Perez plays the devious colonel himself and, as director, creates a great chemistry between the charismatic Roschdy Zem and the cool Doria Tillier."

29 January 2024

In an interview with Vincent printed this week regarding "Une Affaire d'Honneur", François Lévesque of Le Devoir wrote, "It must be said that at the mention of the name of the French star and the word 'duel', we immediately see Vincent Perez in full combat in streets strewn with corpses the day after the Saint-Barthélemy massacre in 'Queen Margot' by Patrice Chéreau, released in 1994."

Vincent responded, "It’s to Chéreau that I owe my fascination with duels, but it predates 'Queen Margot'. In 1988, he staged 'Hamlet' in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes in Avignon, an extraordinary place where they play in front of 3,000 people in the open air. I played Laertes, and there was this big final fight, very impressive, which we had worked on for four months and which we performed every evening. That’s really where I discovered the pleasure that comes from this mixture of armed dance, choreography, combat… I felt very comfortable in this exercise. Subsequently, there was 'Queen Margot', 'Le Bossu', 'Fanfan la Tulipe', and other films."

The article ended with this review: "A captivating film, 'Une Affaire d'Honneur' may be set in the distant past, but its message resonates in the present. In addition to directing and playing the villain of the story, Vincent Perez co-wrote the screenplay with Karine Silla. The scenario skillfully intertwines several themes and destinies which unfold with the same mixture of grace and passion which characterizes the duels. Duels settled like clockwork by Michel Carliez, frequent collaborator of Perez. Visually, the film is also very accomplished, with cinematographer Lucie Baudinaud working with light in an evocative way. The performers are very invested, especially Roschdy Zem, magnetic as a taciturn fencing master, and Doria Tillier, lively and witty as an avant-garde author. Electrifying, visceral, the ultimate duel proves particularly satisfying."

Vincent, Karine and Iman attended the Chanel photocall on January 23 during Paris Fashion Week.

On December 27, 2023, Les Echos published a caricature of Vincent. The drawing captures his unique features quite well except for the eyes. The description reads - "The mythology is so strong that this Swiss actor born to a Spanish father and a German mother has sometimes been described as a 'French lover'. The year that is about to open will be the one in which the flamboyant swordsman from 'Cyrano', from 'La Reine Margot', or from 'Fanfan la tulipe' will enter the club of sixty-year-olds."

La Presse posted an interview with Vincent by Manon Dumais on January 26. In describing "Une Affaire d'Honneur", Vincent states, "It’s not a swashbuckling film because there are no musketeers or capes. Everyone makes this amalgam. As soon as we talk about a sword, we talk about a cape. In American films, the duel is a a heroic moment between two characters where the story ends. The challenge was that the story continues. It is therefore another typology, even a mythology, of the duel. It's not about Sergio Leone, but rather about the art of the duel, the beauty of combat and, at the same time, its absurdity."

Declaring that honor remains a topical concept to which we should refer more often, Vincent Perez regrets that it is in decline at a time when everyone's honor is constantly violated, particularly on social networks. He states, "Today, it is extremely difficult to defend one’s honor. In fact, we let things pass, the waves. Our reputation is under attack and time makes it pass. Otherwise, lawyers also allow you to seek compensation. What was interesting at the time was that at the end of the fight, there was no loser. The situation was simply accepted and the problem was resolved. This is why the idea of revenge did not fit into the codes of dueling of the time because, as a result, revenge is something that leads to a spiral of violence, as the film shows. I found this period quite fascinating which speaks of a world that is changing, like the world we are in today. As a result, there were a lot of similarities, echoes, resonances with our time. At that time, there was the arrival of electricity; today, it is that of artificial intelligence."

25 January 2024

After the airing of a bombshell documentary about Gerard Depardieu on French television on December 7th, Vincent's wife broke her silence about the accusations against the father of her first child, Roxane, born January 28, 1992. Depardieu never married Karine as he was still married to French actress Elisabeth Guignot up until 1996. Depardieu, who was indicted for rape in 2021, has been at the heart of a media storm in recent weeks following the documentary probing multiple historic accusations of sexual misconduct against the actor. Karine told celebrity magazine Paris Match, "I thought long and hard before speaking out because, as we know, it is difficult for a surgeon to operate on his own child or for a judge to conduct a fair trial if the accused is a member of his family. Gerard Depardieu is a man I have loved for thirty-five years and above all the father of my daughter... Everyone is talking, signaling, shouting. But who, among these thousands of people, knows him, has even met him? It’s as if because he’s a public figure, he no longer has the right to his private life, too bad for his children, who are collateral damage!"

She acknowledged that Depardieu’s sense of humor could be "ribald" and "crude" but said his words were not proof of actions. Her defense of Depardieu came just days after the French judiciary dismissed a sexual assault complaint due to the local statute of limitations. It was filed against Depardieu by French actress Hélène Darras, related to an incident on the set of 2007 film "Disco". Karine shared, "He is always respectful with children and keeps his distance when he speaks to them so as not to invade their space. Never, as this incriminating show has tried to portray, would he sexualize a child."

07 January 2024

Here is a summary of the French reviews from Allocine on "Une Affaire d'Honneur".

01 January 2024

Happy New Year! I anxiously await the many Perez family events in 2024. It has become more difficult to keep up as I approach my "golden years". I turned 80 in November so I'm definitely slowing down. This June I will celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Vincent Perez Archives. This web site is obviously archaic and needs a good facelift but I'm not inspired to involve myself in all the new technology. My apologies, Vincent! For nearly 25 years I managed the official Peter Coyote web site, another very outdated creation, and I gladly gave it over to new management when Peter requested a "new look" and they modernized it quite well. I do have more time now that I have fewer web sites to manage. Two of the actors, whose careers I've highlighted, have passed away though I continue to keep their sites online - Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist and playwright/actor Sam Shepard. The only active site besides Vincent's is for Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård.

For previous news & photos, visit the following pages:

2023: January-May, June-August, September-November, December

2022: January-July, August-December

2021: January, February, March-May, June-December

2020: January/February, March/April, May-Sept, October/December

2019: January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September-December

2018: January/February, March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October-December

2017: January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September, October, November/December

2016: January, February, March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October, November/December

2015: January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December

2014: January/February, March, April, May, June/July, August, September, October, November, December