Emmanuelle Bercot

French director, screenwriter, and actor Emmanuelle Bercot began her life in entertainment as a dancer, studying ballet at Cours Florent in Paris. She eventually turned her eye toward narrative art, setting her sights on studying at La Fémis. Though she failed her initial entrance exam, Bercot was later accepted into the prestigious conservatory, studying with directors Robert Hossein and Jean-Luc Tardieu.

She made her first appearance as an actor on film with the feature "Ragazzi" (1991). She would also appear in the comedy "Inner City" (1995), before making her debut as a director and screenwriter with the short film "Les vacances" (1997). The short was a hit at the Cannes Film Festival, winning the Jury Prize and earning a nomination for the Palme d'Or for Best Short Film.

Bercot subsequently got the chance to direct the TV movie "Le choix d'Élodie" (M6, 1999) and a segment for the French series "Scénarios sur la drogue" (2000). Soon, she was ready to debut her first feature film as a director, writer, and actor, the controversial drama "Clément" (2001). The complex story about a relationship between an older woman and a teenage boy made more waves at Cannes, and Bercot took home the Award of the Youth for her efforts.

She would direct several more acclaimed works over the next several years, including "On My Way" (2013) and "Standing Tall" (2015). She would also continue to impress audiences as an actor, even winning Best Actress at Cannes for her performance in "Mon Roi" (2015).