At 17, in her first role, Vanessa Paradis becomes a film star. The loneliness of fame is often spoken of. But how does one adjust to this terrible paradox when they're not even 15 yet? At the age where one barely begins to think of their diploma, Vanessa's success made her a Martian to her classmates. Her first film, White Wedding, threatens to widen that divide because of her risky choice of character: a high-school girl who falls in love with her philosophy teacher. You'll be 17 on December 22. I'll never be 17. My life requires that I race through the years. I don't have time to be 17. You smile when you say that, like it's not painful, like there's no danger in forfeiting your childhood, your adolescence. Because I'm not sure that there is aa danger. It's necessary to think differently. I don't spend my days like a 17-year-old. I say that because I think the divide that may exist between me and teenagers of the same age is the perception they have of time and the perception I have of it. They wait. They await the future because at the moment nothing is happening. That's what made me quit school. When I returned I was like a Martian among them, in class. It's quite simply a question of the rate of life. Adults do things, go forward, and most of the time I lived with them, and then I returned to the slowness of adolescenece. It was like I had a double life, and that, that really disturbed me. And you feel better among adults? You feel in your element? Completely? Right now, yes. When I began to sinng, I was really a baby. One doesn't stop to fret about all the little things that you can run into. Initially, there's the question of size. Adults are tall. I want to say that they are high up. I believe nobody really thinks about this matter of size... But seeing you, you seem to be the same size as me, the same as other women... Because I'm 17. I started singing aat 14. Have you forgotten that its during these years that growth is most spectacular? Yes. Maybe I forgot because I'm here with you. When one looks at you, they can forget that you are a child. That's why I worry about you. One shouldn't worry. It's difficultt to explain, but I obviously feel that I live differently and I have to accept this difference to feel good inside my own skin. It hasn't been very long since I understood that and it's still a little shaky in my head. But I would like to say it so that you can understand it... I think I got it! Ok, it's like someone who's fat, for example. Not fat because they ate a lot of cakes 'cause they were sad, but fat because they were born that way. There are two solutions. Either they accept their size, and they say: "I'm like that, that's me," and they like themselves as they are. In my opinion, in that case, they'll be happy. On the other hand, they can spend their life wanting to look like other people (and we live in a world where we're obligated to be thin); well then, their existence becomes a hell because it will follow all the fashions of the world, depriving themselves all the time without arriving at that obligatory image. Do you understand what I want to say? Completely. And I find that example really well-chosen. You have a surprising clarity. Oh please! (She laughs). It's just tthat it was really important for me to understand that difference. It was vital. To tell myself: I'm like this, I live like this, and I can't do it any differently, so, make the best of the situation. You're surprising... I don't like that. You don't like what? Your surprise. I've had enough of tthose who think tons of bad things about me. I wonder why everyone wants me to be an idiot. Because I make records that go to the Top 50, because I am young and things go so great for me? It's been like that since the beginning! I suffered a lot. I suffer less now... a little bit less... I'm really sorry. I sincerely never intended to judge you. I don't know you personally or anything... Oh, but everyone else doesn't know mme personally either! And still... OK, I won't make a big deal out of it. The only thing I want to say is, I know I'm not Einstein, but I'm not the Queen of the Imbeciles either. There. Do you want to talk about something else? Let's talk about cinema. How did you meet Jean-Claude Brisseau, the director of Noce Blanche? Initially, we met on the telephone; someone had spoken to him about considering me for the role. He had a booming voice. It wasn't very reassuring. After that, when we met in person, he impressed me even more: he's 6'3! And I got the feeling that he wasn't very keen to hand the part to me. So, instead of freezing up, I decided to face the situation and be myself, only myself. I spoke and laughed, too. We even hugged. At the end, he told me, "I didn't come here thinking I'd like you." He thought I was totally commercial, a trained monkey. Fortunately, there are still adults like him that are willing to give me a chance! Yes, fortunately. He did give you a very beautiful role. Did you accept it primarily to give yourself another image? Above all, I accepted it because it was a magnificent plot. A beautiful story. But once I'd made my decision, I couldn't stop thinking about this image thing and I hope this film will be able to change things for me. Did you want to make films? Since always. I started wanting to act the same time as wanting to sing. And when I started to make music videos, it became a goal I wanted to reach. I'd already had offers, but they were teenybopper movies. I don't have anything against those kinds of film, but people have done them before me. I didn't know what kind of role I wanted to play, but I knew it wasn't good for me to choose the easiest. You had idols you wanted to model yourself after? Not really. There is a legendary actress whose life I like as well as her films, but I don't really want to resemble her: Marilyn. Besides that, yeah, I would dream to work with Beineix, Blier. Because they belong to your generation? (She laughs) I'm sorry, but I think they belong more to yours! All the more for me. Do you hope they'll offer parts to you? Obviously I'd like that, but I'm nott obsessing over it. I think this film, Noce Blanche, will start something for me. But please, don't ask me if I'll choose between music and movies! That wasn't my intention. Still, I've been asked it a million times. I won't choose. I want both. Does this determination come from that fact that your career is more important to you than anything? False. Totally false. What's more iimportant for me, above all, it's to have a successful private life. Listen, if I had to choose between my career and my love, I'd choose my love. I give it all away for the one I love. Are you sure about that? Yes. It's what I think today, here, right now, with every fiber of my being.