Five hundred people, including film personalities such as Emmanuelle Béart, Virginie Efira and Albert Dupontel, gathered on Wednesday at the Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris for the funeral of Emilie Dequenne, who died of cancer at the age of 43.
Alongside Sami Bouajila, Alice Belaïdi, Natacha Régnier, Hafsia Herzi, and Andrea Ferréol, directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne came to say goodbye to their "Rosetta." They sat in the front row with family, including Emilie Dequenne's parents, her husband, actor Michel Ferracci, and each of their children.
A drawing of the actress, by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, brightened the steps of the crematorium where the religious ceremony was held. Inside, two photos, before and after the illness: one in black and white, with long hair, the other in color, with short hair. Both photos feature the same smile.
– “In Emilie’s eyes” –
At 3:30 p.m., the song "Elle s'appelait Emilie Jolie" by Philippe Chatel plays, and the coffin, made of light wood, makes its entrance. At the service: Father Pierre Jean Franceschi, who came from Corsica, Michel Ferracci's island, where she herself loved to rest.
"The light in her eyes expressed the light in her heart," the priest emphasized, also sharing a thought for doctors, caregivers and the sick.
The polyphonic chants that punctuated the ceremony were followed by songs by Joe Dassin ("Dans les yeux d'Emilie") and Queen, with a "Bohemian Rhapsody" sung a capella by Emilie Dequenne's daughter, Milla.
"She wasn't just an actress. She was a great actress, virtuoso and generous. (…) I will miss her, we will all miss her," said director Lucas Belvaux, who directed her in "Not Her Type" and "Chez Nous."
“Emilie was neither envious nor mean. She delighted in the success of others,” said Danielle Gain, her agent, whom she called her “movie mom.” “She was a gift of life to me,” she added.
– Donations against cancer –
At the deceased's request, guests were asked not to offer flowers. Instead, they would prefer a donation to the Gustave Roussy Institute, one of France's leading cancer treatment centers, "to advance research into adrenocortical carcinoma."
In October 2023, Emilie Dequenne announced that she had been diagnosed with endocrine cancer, which had kept her away from the stage. She died after a remission, then a relapse. Her ashes are to be scattered in Belgium, and a memorial ceremony is to be held there with the town of Chièvres.
With her death, French and French-speaking cinema mourns the premature death of an actress beloved by the public and appreciated in the world of the 7th art.
Emilie Dequenne achieved recognition as soon as she appeared on screen, winning the Best Actress Award at Cannes for "Rosetta" (1999), by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne.
This role was the prelude to a much broader career, with around fifty films ("La fille du RER" by André Téchiné in 2009, "A perdre la raison" by Joachim Lafosse in 2012, "Les choses qu'on dit, les choses qu'on fait" by Emmanuel Mouret in 2020...), in which the actress knew how to vary the registers.
In May 2024, thanks to a remission, the actress appeared on the red carpet at Cannes arm in arm with actor Michel Ferracci. Smiling, with her hair cut short due to her treatment, she came to celebrate the 25th anniversary of "Rosetta" and present her latest film, "Survivre."
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