Award-winning Belgian actress Émilie Dequenne has sadly passed away at the age of 43 after a battle with cancer. She first gained international recognition when she won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her performance in "Rosetta" in 1999, when she was only 18.
Dequenne's remarkable talent earned her another Cannes accolade in 2012 for "À Perdre la Raison" (Our Children) and a César award, one of France's most prestigious film honors, for "Les Choses Qu'on Dit, les Choses Qu'on Fait" (The Things We Say, the Things We Do) in 2021. While predominantly known for her work in French-language films, she also played a significant role as police officer Laurence Relaud in the BBC drama "The Missing" in 2014.
"Rosetta," directed by the Dardenne brothers, not only secured the Palme d'Or at Cannes but also marked Dequenne's first acting role, which came after she faced unemployment from a food factory job. "The first day she filmed in front of a real camera, she managed to bring the whole team together,” Luc Dardenne stated in tribute. “It got better and better as the shoot progressed... She was magnificent and the film owes a lot to her.”
Dequenne graced the Cannes red carpet even as recently as last year, signifying her ongoing presence in the film industry. Some of her notable works include "La fille du RER" (The Girl on the Train), "Pas Son Genre" (Not My Type), and the 2022 Cannes nominee "Close".
French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati acknowledged the loss, stating, "Francophone cinema has lost, too soon, a talented actress who still had so much to offer." In October 2023, Dequenne announced her diagnosis of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), a rare form of cancer affecting the adrenal glands. In a heartfelt Instagram post for World Cancer Day in February, she wrote, "What a tough fight! And we don't choose..."
Dequenne's remarkable talent earned her another Cannes accolade in 2012 for "À Perdre la Raison" (Our Children) and a César award, one of France's most prestigious film honors, for "Les Choses Qu'on Dit, les Choses Qu'on Fait" (The Things We Say, the Things We Do) in 2021. While predominantly known for her work in French-language films, she also played a significant role as police officer Laurence Relaud in the BBC drama "The Missing" in 2014.
"Rosetta," directed by the Dardenne brothers, not only secured the Palme d'Or at Cannes but also marked Dequenne's first acting role, which came after she faced unemployment from a food factory job. "The first day she filmed in front of a real camera, she managed to bring the whole team together,” Luc Dardenne stated in tribute. “It got better and better as the shoot progressed... She was magnificent and the film owes a lot to her.”
Dequenne graced the Cannes red carpet even as recently as last year, signifying her ongoing presence in the film industry. Some of her notable works include "La fille du RER" (The Girl on the Train), "Pas Son Genre" (Not My Type), and the 2022 Cannes nominee "Close".
French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati acknowledged the loss, stating, "Francophone cinema has lost, too soon, a talented actress who still had so much to offer." In October 2023, Dequenne announced her diagnosis of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), a rare form of cancer affecting the adrenal glands. In a heartfelt Instagram post for World Cancer Day in February, she wrote, "What a tough fight! And we don't choose..."
