Oh la la!

CNN: What's your strongest memory?
BB: The day when I decided to stop everything.

CNN: When you think back to your cinematic career, what makes you the most proud?
BB: That it gave me the profile that today allows me to fight against the suffering of animals.

CNN: Out of your numerous films, which is your favorite, and why?
BB: "En cas de malheur" with Jean Gabin. I was face to face with a superstar of French cinema, which intimidated me greatly at the time.

"La Vérité" by Henri Georges Clouzot. A superb role but a devilish Clouzot.

"L'Ours et la Poupée" with Jean Pierre Cassel, who made a wonderful partner and friend.

CNN: If you had the opportunity to make a film today, with which director would you like to work? And alongside which actors?
BB: Oh la la! The page has turned. Cinema is finished for me.

CNN: Can you describe the spirit of Cannes in five words?
BB: Dream, glamour, glitz, international, artificial.

CNN: Can you tell us about your first impressions of Cannes and 1955 and your most precious memories of the festival?
BB: The first time that I came to Cannes, I think it was in 1953, I was 18 and unknown. I came with Roger Vadim, my husband, who was a journalist with Paris Match, who had to interview Leslie Caron.

At the time of this first visit in 1953, I followed Vadim as a reporter on an American airplane carrier en route to Cannes. On board, the commandant received Leslie Caron, Lana Turner, Gary Cooper, Kirk Douglas and lots of others for a party. Totally unknown and very intimidated, I hid behind Vadim when the commandant greeted me and shouted to the crew in the middle of the bridge, "That's Brigitte!" Not knowing how to answer, I said, "Hello, men!" Everyone went crazy! The sailors lifted me up and carried me around in triumph, shouting, "Bridget! Bridget!" They had no idea who I was because I was nobody.

In 1967, it was far less funny. The crowd and the press were hysterical, and hustled me, crushed me and abused me. Everyone said the police were completely overwhelmed. It's an atrocious thing to remember, but it was to please my husband at the time, Gunter Sachs, who was showing a film made in Kenya, which I'm sure wouldn't have been shown without my presence. That was 40 years ago, and I've never been back.

cnn 2007interview with Brigitte Bardot