The disappearance of Nadia Farès leaves Claude Lelouch bewildered. The filmmaker reveals that he had dinner with her about ten days before the tragedy, a moment that seemed nothing out of the ordinary. “We had dinner together about ten days ago. She was at the peak of joy and happiness… We don’t understand, we are very unhappy,” he explained to Le Parisien on Saturday morning, still in shock. This sudden disappearance is even more brutal as he had plans to work with her again: “I had even written a wonderful role for her in the film I am preparing,” he added, mentioning a project where he wanted her to play alongside Mel Gibson. The director was familiar with the actress, having directed her in “Men, Women: Mode of Use” and then in “Everyone’s Life,” a collaboration that had turned into a true friendship over the years.
Nadia Farès and Claude Lelouch were neighbors in Montmartre. Living in the same residence in Montmartre after having moved from the United States, the ex-wife of Steve Chasman lived in the same building as Claude Lelouch. “She was our neighbor in Montmartre, we lived in the same residence,” he shared. The proximity led to simple and regular moments: “We often had dinner together. She had a zest for life, like me, and that connected us. Valerie and I are really very unhappy,” the director expressed, describing a relationship deeply rooted in daily life.
Claude Lelouch recalls what immediately attracted him to Nadia Farès. Reflecting on their first meeting, he remembers her spontaneity. “It was her spontaneity that immediately attracted me to her. There is nothing more photogenic than spontaneity, from Belmondo to Farès,” he said. “She was very young, and we have never been apart since.”
The filmmaker also mentions the health challenges that she had overcome. “I knew she had cardiac problems, but she had overcome them by thanking the heavens each time,” he recounted, noting that she still had “many projects” ahead, including directing her first film. “She was at the beginning of her second half… She will be missed by many people,” he added. Nadia Farès was set to step behind the camera in September to direct her first feature film, which she had written.
