Maïwenn le Besco was born on 17 April 1976 in Les Lilas, France, to the French-Algerian actress Catherine Belkhodja and the Breton writer Patrick le Besco. From a very young age, she got a few roles such as Isabelle Adjani in Jean Becker’s “L’Eté meurtrier” in 1983 and some appearances in the films of Luc Besson, her former husband. In 2003, she returned to the cinema in Alexandre Aja’s thriller “Haute Tension” with Cécile de France. Then it was Claude Lelouch who cast her. First in his choral film “Les Parisiens” in 2004 and again the following year in “Le Courage d’aimer” with Mathilde Seigner. After her career as an actress, Maïwenn made her mark as a director with her first feature film “Pardonnez moi”, released in 2006, which earned her two César nominations. Having gained legitimacy behind the camera, Maïwenn proved herself and, having acquired a taste for this new mode of expression, she returned in 2009 with a second film with the look of a fake documentary: “Le bal des actrices”. In 2009, she offered him to Joey Star the main role, alongside Karin Viard and Marina Foïs, in her third film, “Polisse”. The film, which takes place in the heart of the Brigade de Protection des Mineurs in Paris, was a hit with nearly 2.5 million viewers. Maïwenn received the Jury Prize from Chiara Mastroianni at the 64th Cannes Film Festival. This year, 2023, the director returns to the red carpet with her new film “Jeanne Du Barry” alongside Johnny Depp to open the official selection of the 67th Festival.
