Virginie Efira honoured at Locarno
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Belgian-French actress Virginie Efira has received the Leopard Club Award at the 79th Locarno Film Festival.
This award recognises a figure whose work in cinema has left a lasting impression on the collective imagination.
Winner of a César Award in 2023 for her role in Alice Winocour’s Revoir Paris, Virginie Efira has established herself in recent years as one of the leading figures in French-language cinema. She has notably starred in films directed by Paul Verhoeven (Benedetta, Elle) and Justine Triet (Victoria, Sibyl).
At Locarno, the actress is also presenting Soudain, the new film by Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, for which she won this year’s Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival. This is the Japanese filmmaker’s first feature-length film in French.
“Virginie Efira brings a unique sensitivity to her roles. Bold yet thoughtful, instinctive yet ironic, she offers contemporary cinema a fresh perspective that is constantly reinventing itself,” said Giona Nazzaro, the festival’s artistic director.
“She displays a talent that evolves with freedom and vitality.”
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Translated from French, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
