8 Women

Cast:

Catherine Deneuve as Gaby, The Mother
Born in 1943, her parents were actors. She made her movie debut in 1957, when she was a teenager, and her breakthrough came with the excellent musical , in which she gave an unforgettable performance as a romantic middle-class girl who falls in love with a young soldier, but gets imprisoned in a loveless marriage with another man. She then played a schizophrenic killer in Roman Polanski's and a married woman who works as a part-time prostitute every afternoon in Luis's masterpiece . During Eighties her magnificent work in Francois Truffaut's , as a stage actress in Nazi-occupied Paris revived her career. She was also very good in the recent epic drama , for which she earned her first Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress.

Fanny Ardant as Pierrette, as the Victim's Sister
Also known as the woman behind Francois Truffaut, 's Since first gaining international attention in her starring role opposite Gerard Depardieu in Francois Truffaut's , Ardant has become recognized as one of France's most popular and well-respected actresses. She began her association with Truffaut in late 70s, which would lead to both excellent work in and their relationship lasted until Truffaut's death in 1984, they have one daughter, Josephine. Ardant's work continued to flourish after Truffaut's death, and she cemented her reputation with dramatic films, , and in Gabriel Aghion's < Pedale Douce>, a broad comedy in which Ardant's uncharacteristic comic turn won her the 1997 Best Actress Cesar.

Isabelle Huppert as Augustine, Gaby's Sister
Isabelle Huppert was born in 1955, in Paris, France. Encouraged by her mother, she followed the Conservatory of Versailles and won an acting prize for her work in Alfred de Musset's "Un caprice". She made her movie debut in 1971 and soon became one of the top actresses of her generation, giving fine performances in important films, like Claude Goretta as a simple-minded girl who falls in love with - and is betrayed by - a student, Jean-Luc Godard's < Saive qui peut (la vie) as a prostitute, , as an upper-class woman who is physically attracted by a young vagabond. She made her US debut playing a brothel madam in Michael CiminoÔs disastrous and has an extremely productive collaboration with Claude Chabrol, who cast her in several movies. More recent good films include and Michael Haneke's controversial , which declared her Best Actress in Cannes Film Festival.

Emmanuelle BŽart as Louise, the chambermaid
She was born August 14, 1965. She spent her childhood on a farm in southern France because her father, who was a French singer and poet didn't want her to be effected by the glamour world of Paris. She was once engaged for a Robert Altman movie that was never made by the time she was studying in Montreal. In 1983, Director David Hamilton gave her a role in . Then she met her spouse Daniel Auteuil making .The film which made her an international well-known star was < Manon des Sources >. Director Tom McLoughlin chose her out of 5000 candidates for her first Hollywood picture, . Emmanuelle is also a perfectionist. She had taken violin lessons for a whole year, just for the part in the film . Her biggest success was the art film < La Belle Noiseuse> directed by Jacques Rivette, as a nude model.

Danielle Darrieux as Mammy, the Grandmother
One of the first French pioneers who conquered American Film Market. Danielle made an impressive film debut as a headstrong teenager in and in 30s. After her first debut in Hollywood , she was electing to return France and found herself working under the scrutiny of the new Nazi regime. She then returned briefly to the US in the early '50s, appearing as a French chanteuse in and as James Mason's duplicitous lady friend in . Danielle Darrieux made her most remarkable works in the latter part of her career, notably in director Max Ophuls' and Claude Chabrol's .

Virgina Ledoyen as Suzon, Gaby's older daughter
Born in Aubervilliers on November 15, 1976, Ledoyen got her first taste of show business when, as a five-year-old model and at the age of seven, she began attending the Parisian drama school "l'Ecole du Spectacle". In the early '90s, Ledoyen began to do steady film work, her breakthrough came as a leading role in 1995's (The Girl Alone), in which she starred as a pregnant young hotel worker who goes about her job after telling her sullen boyfriend she intends to have his baby. The film, which focused almost solely on Ledoyen for 90 minutes, earned her a Cesar nomination. Following a supporting role in Taiwanese director Edward YangÕs , her recognition and respect continued to grow in the international market thanks to the actress' starring role alongside Leonardo Dicaprio in .

Ludivine Sagnier as Catherine, Gaby's younger daughter
Ludivine Sagnier has established herself as one of France's brightest acting hopes, after her role as Anna in Francis Ozon's < Water Drops on Burning Rocks>, Sagnier worked with Ozon again in <8 Women> and will soon be seen starring in PJ Hogan's movie adaptation of legendary .

Firmine Richard as Madame Chanel, the Housekeeper

Director:
Francois Ozon

Screenplay :
Francois Ozon

Director of Photography :
Jeanne Lapoirie

Costume Design :
Pascaline Chavanne

Sound :
Pierre Gamet

Editor :
Laurence Bawedin