Julie Delpy, the acclaimed French-American actress, writer, and director, arrived in Gothenburg, Sweden, a whirlwind of energy and dark attire accented by vibrant pink streaks in her hair. Her visit marked her first time in Sweden, and its purpose was to accept the prestigious Dragon Honorary Award at the Gothenburg Film Festival in 2025. Delpy’s self-deprecating humor was immediately apparent, comparing herself to a fake plant she encountered in the interview room overlooking the city’s bustling harbor. Despite the dreary weather and ongoing construction outside, Delpy’s spirits were high, acknowledging the award as a welcome validation in a career often marked by self-doubt. She credited her supportive husband for keeping her grounded and insisted he deserved the recognition more than she did. Delpy emphasized her amiable nature and the positive working relationships she fosters, highlighting a career built on talent and collaboration.
Delpy’s career began at the tender age of 14 with a small role in Jean-Luc Godard’s ”Detective.” She gained international recognition in the early 1990s for her portrayal of a Polish woman navigating a difficult divorce in Krzysztof Kieślowski’s ”The White.” Around the same time, she achieved widespread acclaim for her role as Céline in Richard Linklater’s ”Before Sunrise,” which launched a beloved trilogy chronicling the evolving romance between Céline and Jesse, played by Ethan Hawke. The films, spanning nearly two decades, depicted the complexities and challenges of long-term relationships, culminating in ”Before Midnight,” where Céline, as Delpy puts it, became a ”41-year-old, slightly chubby mother” grappling with the realities of family life and a less-than-perfect love story. Delpy revealed that discussions for a fourth film involved Céline dying of cancer, an idea she vehemently opposed, feeling it would betray the audience. She jokingly suggested that Céline’s death might be appropriate for a fifth installment, envisioning a scenario where Jesse embarks on a relationship with his daughter’s friend, a darkly humorous take on a male fantasy.
Straddling two cultures, Delpy has successfully navigated both American and French cinema. Pia Lundberg, the Gothenburg Film Festival’s artistic director, lauded Delpy as a pioneering filmmaker with a unique voice, creating movies that blend humor, depth, and sensitivity, resonating with audiences worldwide. Delpy’s work often features flawed, relatable female characters, and she excels at mining humor from cultural clashes, as evident in films like ”2 Days in Paris,” ”Lolo,” and her latest project, ”Meet the Barbarians.” While she praised the kindness and good-naturedness of Swedes, she admitted lacking enough preconceived notions about them to craft a comedy based on their culture. Delpy attributes her observational humor and anthropological interest in cultural differences to her upbringing, raised by bohemian actor parents who fostered a sense of being an outsider.
Leaving her Paris home at 16 to pursue her acting dreams in the United States, Delpy continued to feel like an outsider, even within the film industry. She recounted a traumatic experience three years prior where she was forced to withdraw from an unnamed film project, describing the subsequent actions of those involved as a psychologically abusive, ”Trumpian” attack. This incident led her to draw parallels between these individuals and Harvey Weinstein, whom she had skillfully evaded years earlier when he attempted to lure her to his hotel room. While acknowledging Weinstein’s predatory behavior, she also noted his discerning taste in films and the ability to present a non-threatening demeanor to those he did not view as prey. Delpy’s outspoken nature, which she likens to that of Larry David, often lands her in uncomfortable situations, reminding her that honesty isn’t always the easiest path.
Delpy’s filmography extends beyond comedy, demonstrating her versatility as an artist. She explored themes of grief, motherhood, and ethics in the existential sci-fi drama ”My Zoe.” A decade earlier, she portrayed the infamous Elizabeth Báthory in her self-directed period drama ”The Countess,” a film her father jokingly labeled as her most autobiographical. This darker side, rarely seen in her predominantly comedic work, reflects a depth Delpy shields from her son, using humor as a coping mechanism. She described herself as hyper-sensitive, often moved to tears by news reports, and it was the image of the drowned Syrian boy Alan Kurdi that spurred her to create ”Meet the Barbarians.”
”Meet the Barbarians” is set in a small village in Brittany, a microcosm of France, showcasing diverse reactions to the arrival of refugees initially believed to be Ukrainian but revealed to be Syrian. The film tackles complex issues like racism and xenophobia while maintaining a delicate balance of tone, avoiding both sentimentality and vulgarity. Delpy also satirizes her own character’s ”woke” and overly empathetic nature. She emphasizes her commitment to incorporating political commentary, even in seemingly apolitical films like ”2 Days in Paris,” citing a scene where her character uses satire to confront a racist taxi driver. Delpy vehemently rejects the notion that poverty justifies embracing fascism, drawing from her own childhood experiences of homelessness and poverty, emphasizing the resilience and empathy of her parents despite their struggles. She concluded the interview with a fiery denouncement of those who perceive her life as privileged, reminding them of her difficult beginnings and the hard work that shaped her career.
