Profile: Adèle Haenel
Born in 1989 in France. She was chosen for the lead role in the film, “Les Diables" (The Devils)(2002) at the age of 11. She has gained much attention for her role in “Water Lilies” (2007) and was recently nominated for the French Cesar Award for Most Promising Actress.

In her role as the alluring Floriane in Céline Sciamma's “Water Lilies”, Adèle Haenel has proven herself to be one of France’s most promising new actresses. Stellar in her performance as the slightly cruel and quite precocious teenager, Adèle herself - like the character she played - carries a hint of an adult aura. Though she shows a piercing confidence in photo shoots, during our interview she still had an air of shyness - like an actress not yet used to be interviewed. Sometimes she seemed a bit embarrassed by our questions, but she took the time to answer each of them honestly and thoughtfully.

★Warning: This interview includes information on scenes in the film. Persons who have not yet seen "Water Lilies" may encounter spoilers.

--First of all, could you introduce your character of Floriane for our readers?

Floriane is a tough character that wants to manipulate others into doing what she wants. At first glance, it may look like she’s controlling them, but I think that actually she’s not. She’s trapped inside this image of herself, and she’s extremely alone with no friends. All the girls hate her and, what’s more, she’s also very two-faced. She has this one side to her where she’s like a vampire sucking on people, but her encounter with Marie gradually draws out the delicate and lonely elements of her personality. This movie shows the other side to her being.

--What was the hardest thing for you in acting this role?

Expressing the finer and more subtle elements of the script. Like the two sides to this character I just mentioned - I had to be careful not to get caught in stereotyping.

--Do you have anything in common with your character?

Not really. Of course, as I acted, I was remembering all the things I went through during my own adolescence, but I was a much shier teenager.

--What did you do to prepare yourself for the character?

About one month before we started filming, I met Céline and the other two actresses for performance training. Rather than just rehearse scenes, what we were really doing was practicing concentration and preparing for acting with emotion. Through these practices I was able to work on creating a character that was consistent in her identity. Also, I had to practice synchronized swimming a lot. I spent about 50 hours on it.

--In your opinion, what do you think Marie means to Floriane?

I think that Marie is probably the first person who has ever caused Floriane to feel moved. The two of them really do seem to be able to become friends, but perhaps the end of the movie is telling the story of Floriane’s own personal failing. From there, Floriane may just spend the rest of her life alone, but for Marie, Floriane was just a step - a part of her, from which she will now move on. In my personal opinion I think that ultimately Marie keeps moving ahead and finds affirmation in herself. I think she meets many other girls and grows. However, Floriane on the other hand stays stuck in this image of herself. Even though she broke out of her shell a little after meeting Marie, I see her as someone who then just crawls right back in.

--Do you think Floriane realizes Marie’s feelings for her?

I think she realizes perfectly! (laughs) But, I don’t think she know just how much Marie thinks of her, or the strength of those feelings.

translated by rayna