July 7th

Movie making is a strange profession. You become very close to a group of people..cast and crew members..and then it’s over and everyone goes their separate ways. I’ve learned that one has to be intentional if friendships formed on a movie set are to continue. Geraldine and I have pledged to remain friends. I find her fascinating with off-beat taste in all things. A true bohemian who still fits in to any situation with any assortment of people. She’s intelligent, talented, curious, generous.

My friends from Georgia, Sharon, Howell and Megan Ferguson with Richard standing behind

A mother, father, child head stone

rehearsing my French dialogue with Christine Dejoux

a pensive scene with Daniel

detail of grave site arbor

My character works with Daniel's character to plants roses and jasmine around a small bench at the site of my grave

What a way to celebrate July 4th. So many friend gathered for the cocktail reception given by the Paris Film Festival to honor me. My bestest friend, Paula Weinstein and Hannah Rosenberg, her daughter and my goddaughter, are here for fashion week and she was so happy to see film director d’Euzhan Palcy, who directed “A Dry White Season” starring Marlon Brando, which Paula produced.

It was a wonderful surprise to have Rosanna Arquette show up unexpectedly with her beau, Todd. And Jackie Bisset was there too!!!  

With the wonderful film director, d'Euzhan Palcy

My friends from Georgia, Sharon Maxwell Ferguson and Howell Ferguson. They won the Paris trip which includes visiting the set, dining out with me and attending the film festival events. The Scissor Sisters concert was thrown. For good measure

Jackie Bisset and Charlotte Rampling...two beauties, huh?

Todd, Rosanna (Arquette), me, Jackie Bisset, Charlotte Rampling, Richard

Then we all boarded a bus to go to the Scissor Sisters concert

Paula talking to Megan

Nathalie Lafaurie talking to Vania Vadim and behind is Daniel Bruhl, Patrizio and Geraldine

Megan and her mother, Sharon Maxwell Ferguson, who is a G-CAPP board member

Ooops, missed the top of Ana's head but the legs are worth it and she was amazing.

still dressed

whew!!! People went wild

Jason and Ana

It was hard to believe Jason had just done a show in what must have been 105 degree heat. We all could ring our clothes out afterwards. As Richard said, the music was first rate, one of the best rock concerts he’s ever been too. The new album. “Night Work” is fantastic, and perfect to dance to and workout to. Jason sings like a hot angel, looks like Greek God an dances like nobody’s business!

Jason (AKA Jake) Sellards with Richard at dinner after the concert

Jason wih Vania Vadim

Jeremie Imbert, Olga Plemianikov, Philippe Caland

Hannah, Paula, Megan, Sharon and Howell

A group of Jason's friends and fans joined us. They were very sweet people. I love how they adore him.

Jeremie, Olga and Philippe

I was too tired to write a blog last night so the photos I took yesterday are here. I wanted to show how we shoot car scenes…with the car mounted on a flat bed , the cameras attached in front and the whole is being pulled by another truck. This isn’t the only way to shoot car scenes but a common way, and, in our case, essential because Guy Bedos doesn’t drive. I would take Tulea into the car with me between takes cause she knew I was inside and whimpered when we went past.

Today was the first day all of us shot together. Geraldine has been finishing a film in Spain so this was her first day on our film and it was a delight to work with her and look across the hospital bed at her awakened face, positively shining with spirit. She is an imaginative actor. I was impressed. In the scene, our friend, Claude (Claude Rich), had a mild heart attack and has been taken to a retirement home by his son and we, his pals, come to visit and decide, because we are not happy with what we experience in the home, to help him escape.

It was a long day in a very small, hot room and I am beat. But the scene went well and is full of camaraderie and humor.

It is a beautiful building, pistachio green, like buildings in St Petersburg and it offers rooms for people on welfare. There are 102 people—men and women—living there (mostly women, because women live longer than men in general by 5 1/2 years). The oldest is 108!!! There are also people in their fifties, people with Alzheimer’s. It is very sad to walk through the lounge area. I’m told that tomorrow we will work with a woman who is 102. Maybe I can interview here for my book.

Claude's character is an amateur but fine photographer who likes especially to photograph the prostitutes he frequents. We've put his photos up on the wall.

Waiting to shoot. The room was really hot!

This is the lovely retirement home where Claude has been taken by his son.

I am sad anyway because my dear, sweet friend, Stephen Rivers, died last night of cancer. Stephen was my PR person for a long time —as well as my friend–and traveled all over with me, including to Russia, where I was trying to persuade the government to allow the famous and brave refusnik, Ida Nudel, to go to Israel. He was the one who arranged my meeting with 40 Vietnam veterans in the basement of a church in Waterbury, Conn. We went through a lot together. Life is terminal, but for some it happens too soon.

See you next time.

Yesterday we all were filmed in a small studio on the other side of Paris. Waaaay on the other side! It was the first time meeting Claude Rich. All the others—Geraldine Chaplin, Pierre Richard who plays my husband, Guy Bedos who plays Geraldine’s husband, and he German actor, Daniel Bruhl—met many months ago when I passed through Paris on my way from Dusseldorf and we had a wonderful dinner together with the director and producers in Mont Martres.

The director decided the dance Claude and I do will not be the Tango—too formal and “prepared”–but, instead, just a dance that is easier to improvise. I’m a little sad because I was enjoying learning the tango steps. Oh well.

I was so enthralled with meeting everyone and being in front of the camera that I forgot to take any pictures for this blog. Dang! I think, I felt and everyone said, that we all looked great together…very familiar and at ease. Dominic, the hairstylist, cut my hair a little shorter which looks good for the character. I like the way he and the makeup artist, Fabienne (I got her name wrong on my last blog), are making me look. Not glamorous but right. I decided I will not go to the rushes. I don’t want to become self-conscious with how I look. I’ve got enough to worry about with the French dialogue.

Last night a friend from Atlanta, Mark Benerofe, called and asked me to dinner. Actually, he invited me to go to the French open Tennis tournament with him but I had to decline cause we were working but I wish I could have gone. My friend, Martina Navratilova was doing the commentary and I could have seen her.

Anyway, Mark and I and his friend, Perry Cantarutti (Senior VP of my favorite airline, Delta, for Europe, the Middle East and Africa) had dinner at Café Flore on Blvd St Germain on the left bank. I hadn’t been there for such a long time. I’m going to take Richard there for lunch when he comes mid June.

That’s Perry on the left and Mark on the right...Tulea in the middle.

I just finished rehearsing with Pierre Richard and our director, Stephane, here in my apartment and now I am going to look for a hotel near me for Troy and Simone who are coming June 8th for 3 days before we go to St Tropez for my daughter, Vanessa’s, wedding to Paul Van Winkle, whom I like a lot. I am very happy for them. The wedding will take place in the home of Catherine Schneider, whom Vadim (my first husband) married after me. She and I are good friends and I look forward to seeing Vadim’s family at the wedding—his sister, Helene, his niece and nephew and other children, including his son with Catherine, Vania Vadim. Tomorrow Catherine and I will go to Vania’s photo exhibition and have dinner after.

See you next time.

I have arrived in Paris to begin work on a French film called “…Et Si On Vivait Tous Ensemble?” (“And If We All Lived Together?”) Geraldine Chaplin (Charlie’s daughter) is the other woman and the men are all iconic French actors, beloved here. Guy Bedos, Claude Rich, Pierre Richard. I love how the French are loyal to their stars even when they are no longer young.  The young German actor, Daniel Brühl, who was in Tarantino’s “Inglorious Bastards” is also in it. He and I have some lovely scenes together. He plays a graduate student studying the lives of seniors in France and how the population relates to them.

It has been 50 years since I made a film in French. Fortunately I have remained fluent though on the days when I have several scenes with a lot of dialogue I will be tested, for sure.

I am staying in the beautiful, sunlit apartment of a dear friend, Eve Ensler, on an island in the middle of the scene. I took Tulea walking awhile ago and took these photos of Notre Dame Cathedral which is on an adjacent island.

See You Next Time.