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Translation by Violaine

Translation from ELLE, in advance, I am sorry for that quick translation. I don’t have any dictionary which explains all the mistakes. I added some short comments, so that you can figure out who she is talking about!

My childhood: I grew up in Villiers-sur-Marne, our garden smelt of lilacs. My parents have always been wonderful. I love them. My dad is a thinker. He never sees bad intentions in other people. His office is real Ali Baba cave (you can find anything), in there, with him, I painted, drew. We also went fishing a lot together. My mum is my best friend. She knows me by heart.by the way I say hello to her, she knows if I feel well or bad. When things are too much for me ( when I feel “débordée” in French) she always has the right word to comfort. She is bright. Everybody looks for her presence, her being around, for her advice. She is my “woman” icon. I would also love to talk about Nany, my grand mother with green eyes. I used to go to her place every Tuesday night after school, she taught me the gardening, how to ice skate and she even gave me lessons of ski!

Marylin: something in her makes me loving her like a friend. Maybe because she always has been misunderstood and because she has been hurt a lot, by men especially.

Romy: talking about Romy Schneider, an Austrian actress that made a career in France, who died in her forties she had inside her like a fire. She could be smiley and the suddenly tragic. I have liked her very early, at about 8. especially in “César et Rosalie” and in “La Piscine”. She is astonishing (“elle me boulverse” in French)

My agent, my friend: Marceline Lenoir is my agent for cinema, I met her when I was 13, she believed in me before success came.

My uncle the clown: Didier Pain is my mother’s brother, my godfather, the one that made everything started. He’s a comedian and actor, when I was little, he used to take me on film shooting . he introduced me to his friend Franck Langolff. I asked him “when do write a song for me?” few times later, he composed “Joe le taxi”. Didier became my producer, he protected me a lot and followed my career very closely for the first 8 years.

Gene Kelly: this is thanks to him that I love musicals. When I was very young I used to watch “singing in the rain” over and over again. In fact, he is the one that taught me English.

First screening: “Noce Blanche” changed a lot of things for me. After “Joe le taxi” ‘s success, there was this incredible hate against me. People were insulting me, some were spiting on me. I lived a real nightmare. I that movie, I played an ex-prostitute who has been hurt by life. I wasn’t that little singer with too much make up on, anymore. When the film came out, everything changed, the press, the people in the streets were gentle. Maybe they realised I had a little bit of talent.

Etienne, the poet: ( Etienne Roda-Gil is the one that wrote the lyrics of Joe le Taxi he is also a famous composer for other French singers) Roda-Gil the crazy poet, real poets are always a little bit or a little a lot crazy!

Valerie, my friend: I met her at friends’, at the age of 17. we had a crush, we became “inseparable” (people you can’t tear apart) she is as beautiful as Pocahontas and besides, she can do what she wants with her hands.

My first composer: Franck Langolff looks like a hippy father Christmas. You can always find him in a studio and this is good because I love all that.

The great Serge: (Serge Gainsbourg was a very famous French singer, composer, musician poet, writer, actor, film maker…. He wrote a song called, “la ballade de Melody Nelson”, Lily-Rose has been named after that song. He wrote Vanessa’s second album.) It was just happiness to work together. He was full of good manners, soft, gentle (she says that because he was alcoholic so he looked unattractive and impolite) sometimes, when he was telling me about his life, I wanted to embrace him. I didn’t do it because of timidity ( “pudeur” in French). I regret. He left a year after.

An unforgettable add: ( talking about Coco Chanel add) the shooting was just like Hollywood! And beside, I learnt how to practice trapeze!

My meeting with Gérard: ( Depardieu, on the film called “Elisa”(which is the name of one of serge gainsbourg songs)) in “Elisa”, by Jean Becker, I played with Depardieu. What a partner! He made me laugh before dramatic scenes.

New York, New York: at the age of 19, after 4 crazy years, I needed to live something different, so I left for NY, I lvec in a loft in Little Italy. I recorded there, in English, my 3rd album.

Florence, the unique ( a French actress who played Vanessa’s mother in “Elisa”) actress, making sculptures, Florence Thomassin is strong, happy, a little bit dyslexic. Her expressions make me burst of laughter!

My dog: I was 20, and my only companion was him. On stage, while my 1st tour, every night the audience was shouting its love to me, and I was finishing every concert crying, because of that. My comfort, my friend Nelson (the dog’s name)

Moment of grace: it was a surprise for Jeanne Moreau (a French actress very respected in France who is about 70) in the Cannes Festival. While singing (“ le tourbillon de la vie” a song that Jeanne Moreau sings in a film in the early 60’, that Vanessa sings on the album “chanson d’enfance”) her look fell into mine. She came to me and then suddenly there only the two of us…. My heart nearly stopped!!

Patrice, not sad: (play on word with his name patrice pas triste) Patrice Leconte (the film maker of The Girl On The Bridge) has a serious physic, but he is not serious a all! He could be the contortionist clown. Together we act silly, but we also melt for each other (“attendrir” in French) when we talk about deep and beautiful things.

My favourite movie: from the 5 films that I shot (4 with Christian Fechner as the producer!!) “la fille sur le pont” is the one that I love the best. For the sublime story written by Serge Frydman.

My 2001 tour: for the album “Bliss”, Johnny gave me a guitar and I learnt how to play. I also worked with Matthieu Chedid (known as artist as “M”) – what a beautiful artist ! – and Steve Nieve, piano magician. (hand writing below the photo) During the day, gypsy life in the bus, at night, the music, Lily-Rose was everywhere, and jack was soon going to arrive.

The lady of jazz: Billie Holliday is a singer, a REAL ONE !

Mister soul: “What’s going on” by Marvin Gaye, this is Mozart for me.

What a voice: I just melt for Tom Waits’ songs, they made me dream.

My favourite painter: Klimt, he is the genius of “pinceau” (the pen you use for paint), the mix of colours. I am crazy about the details in his paint. I like Art Nouveau and Art Deco, Johnny too. Together we look on internet, to get things, actually, it is Johnny that does it, because I am dumb with internet. Our last acquisition a light half Art Deco, half Art Nouveau. We don’t even know where to put all this.

Some fashion that I like: Betsey Johnson is a creator from New York. For about 15 years, my cupboards are filled with her dresses, pants, tops. Velvet, “dentelle” (kind of material that is very light) is all I love.

There are also two pictures, one where she is on a balcony with very curled hair, where she says: “In Hollywood, I love mystical places like Chateau Marmont hotel, where that picture has been taken.”
The other picture represents a jumper and a pair of boots. “my favourite sweater, comfy, it is all destroy, I stole it from my mother at least 15 years ago. And my old pair of boots that have been every where as well.”