Denis Menochet
Born	1977 Enghien-les-Bains
Occupation	Actor

Denis Menochet (born 1977 in Enghien-les-Bains, Val-d'Oise) is a French film and television actor. Menochet is perhaps best known to an international audience for his role as Perrier LaPadite, a French dairy farmer interrogated by the Nazis for harboring Jews, in the 2009 Quentin Tarantino film, Inglourious Basterds.

Elizabeth Weitzman, a film critic for the New York Daily News, praised Menochet's work opposite Christoph Waltz in the opening scene of Inglorious Basterds. Weitzman wrote in August 2009, "The terrific opening, for example, does feature a hailstorm of bullets. What you'll remember best, though, is the haunted silence of actor Denis Menochet, playing a French farmer accused of harboring Jews."^[1]

Filmography[link]

Cinema[link]

• 2004 : Mot compte double de Cécile Vernant : as Denis
• 2004 : Split (short film) by Matthieu Vollaire
• 2004 : Automne de Ra'up McGee : as bodyguard
• 2005 : Mustache directed by Emmanuel Carrère : server
• 2005 : Foon directed by Benoît Pétré, Deborah Saïag, Mika Tard and Isabelle Vitari : Harry
• 2005 : Appel d'air (short film) by Lucie Duchêne : Vincent
• 2007 : Light My Fire (court-métrage) de Matthieu Vollaire
• 2007 : Poison d'avril (TV) directed by William Karel : sound engineer
• 2007 : La 17ème marche (short film) directed by Karim Adda : Talkie man
• 2007 : Hannibal Rising directed by Peter Webber : Chief of Police
• 2007 : J'ai plein de projets (short film) directed by Karim Adda
• 2007 : La Disparue de Deauville directed by Sophie Marceau : Jean-Luc
• 2008 : Very very large company directed by Pierre Jolivet : Gilles
• 2009 : Je te mangerais (I Would Eat You) directed by Sophie Laloy : Copain Yves
• 2009 : Inglourious Basterds directed by Quentin Tarantino : Perrier LaPadite, a French dairy farmer
• 2010 : Joseph et la fille de Xavier De Choudens : Franck
• 2010 : La Rafle de Rose Bosch : Corot
• 2010 : Robin Hood directed by Ridley Scott : Adhemar
• 2011 : Les Adoptés directed by Mélanie Laurent : Alex
• 2011 : Forces spéciales directed by Stéphane Rybojad  : Captain Lucas
• 2012 : Je me suis fait tout petit, Yvan Le Doze
• 2013 : Dans la maison

Television[link]

• 2003 : Caméra Café : Patrick
• 2005 : Les vagues (TV) de Frédéric Carpentier : Le Coach
• 2006 : L'État de Grâce - épisode 6 : "Taxi driver number 2"
• 2007 : Rendez-moi justice (TV) by Denys Granier-Deferre : Gilbert Jourdan
• 2008 : Julie Lescaut (television series) - Season 17, episode 2 : Patrick
• 2008 : Duval et Moretti (television series) - Season 1, episode 7 : Alex
• 2009 : L'école du pouvoir by Raoul Peck : Élève interne
• 2009 : Brigade Navarro (television series) - Season 2, episode 4 : Capitaine Le Mat
• 2010 : Pierre Michel Agatha Christie's Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express Season 12 Episode 4

References[link]

External links[link]

• Denis Menochet at the Internet Movie Database

Saint Denis of Paris
Saint Denis, holding his head. statue at the left portal of Notre Dame.
Bishop and Martyr
Born	3rd century AD Italy
Died	c. 250, 258,[1] or 270 Montmartre, Paris, France
Honored in	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church
Major shrine	Saint Denis Basilica
Feast	October 9
Attributes	carrying his severed head in his hands; a bishop's mitre; city; furnace[2]
Patronage	France; Paris; against frenzy, strife, headaches, hydrophobia, possessed people, rabies

Saint Denis (also called Dionysius, Dennis, or Denys) is a Christian martyr and saint. In the third century, he was Bishop of Paris. He was martyred in connection with the Decian persecution of Christians, shortly after A.D. 250. After his head was chopped off, Denis is said to have picked it up and walked ten kilometres (six miles), preaching a sermon the entire way, making him one of many cephalophores in hagiology. He is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church as patron of Paris, France and as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. The medieval and modern French name "Denis" derives from the ancient name Dionysius.

Life[link]

Beheading of Denis and of his companions, tympanum of the north portal of the Basilica of St Denis.

Gregory of Tours^[3] states that Denis was bishop of the Parisii and was martyred by being beheaded by a sword. The earliest document giving an account of his life and martyrdom, the "Passio SS. Dionysii Rustici et Eleutherii" dates from c. 600, is mistakenly attributed to the poet Venantius Fortunatus, and is legendary. Nevertheless, it appears from the Passio that Denis was sent from Italy to convert Gaul in the third century, forging a link with the "apostles to the Gauls" reputed to have been sent out under the direction of Pope Fabian. This was after the persecutions under Emperor Decius had all but dissolved the small Christian community at Lutetia.^[4] Denis, with his inseparable companions Rusticus and Eleutherius, who were martyred with him, settled on the Île de la Cité in the River Seine. Roman Paris lay on the higher ground of the Left Bank, away from the river.

Martyrdom[link]

Denis, having alarmed the pagan priests by his many conversions, was executed by beheading on the highest hill in Paris (now Montmartre), which was likely to have been a druidic holy place. The martyrdom of Denis and his companions is popularly believed to have given it its current name, derived from the Latin mons martyrium "The Martyrs' Mountain",^[1] although in fact the name is more likely to derive from mons mercurei et mons martis, Hill of Mercury and Mars.^[5] After his head was chopped off, Denis is said to have picked it up and walked ten kilometres (six miles) from the summit of Mont Mars (now Montmartre), preaching a sermon the entire way, making him one of many cephalophores in hagiology. Of the many accounts of this martyrdom, this is noted in detail in the Golden Legend and in Butler's Lives Of The Saints.^[6] The site where he stopped preaching and actually died was marked by a small shrine that developed into the Saint Denis Basilica, which became the burial place for the kings of France. Another account has his corpse being thrown into the Seine, but recovered and buried later that night by his converts.^[2]

Veneration[link]

Late Gothic statue of Saint Denis, limestone, formerly polychromed (Musée de Cluny)

Veneration of Saint Denis began soon after his death. The bodies of Saints Denis, Eleutherius, and Rusticus were buried on the spot of their martyrdom, where the construction of the saint's eponymous basilica was begun by Saint Geneviève, assisted by the people of Paris.^[7] Her Vita Sanctae Genovefae attests the presence of a shrine near the present basilica by the close of the fifth century, though the names of Rusticus and Eleutherius are non-historical. The successor church was erected by Fulrad, who became abbot in 749/50 and was closely linked with the accession of the Carolingians to the Merovingian throne.

In time, the "Saint Denis", often combined as "Montjoie! Saint Denis!" became the war-cry of the French armies. The oriflamme, which became the standard of France, was the banner consecrated upon his tomb. His veneration spread beyond France when, in 754, Pope Stephen II, who was French, brought veneration of Saint Denis to Rome. Soon his cultus was prevalent throughout Europe.^[7] Abbot Suger removed the relics of Denis, and those associated with Rustique and Eleuthére, from the crypt to reside under the high altar of the Saint-Denis he rebuilt, 1140-44.^[8]

The feast of Saint Denis was added to the Roman Calendar in the year 1568 by Pope Pius V, though it had been celebrated since at least the year 800. St Denis' feast day is celebrated on October 9.^[2]

In traditional Catholic practice, Saint Denis is honored as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Specifically, Denis is invoked against diabolical possession and headaches^[9] and with Sainte Geneviève is one of the patron saints of Paris.

Companions[link]

Last Communion and Martyrdom of Saint Denis, by Henri Bellechose, 1416, which shows the martyrdom of both Denis and his companions

9 October is celebrated as the feast of Saint Denis and also of his companions, a priest named Rusticus and a deacon, Eleutherius, who were martyred alongside him and buried with him.

Confusion with Dionysus the Areopagite[link]

Since at least the ninth century, the legends of Dionysus the Areopagite and Denis of Paris have been often confused. Around 814, Louis the Pious brought certain writings attributed to Dionysus the Areopagite to France, and since then it became common among the French legendary writers to argue that Denis of Paris was the same Dionysus who was a famous convert and disciple of Saint Paul.^[7] The confusion of the personalities of Saint Denis, Dionysus the Areopagite, and pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, the author of the writings ascribed to Dionysius brought to France by Louis, was initiated through an Areopagitica written in 836 by Hilduin, Abbot of Saint-Denis, at the request of Louis the Pious. "Hilduin was anxious to promote the dignity of his church, and it is to him that the quite unfounded identification of the patron saint with Dionysius the Areopagite and his consequent connexion with the apostolic age are due."^[10] Hilduin's attribution had been supported for centuries by the monastic community at Abbey of Saint-Denis and one of origins of their pride. In Historia calamitatum, Pierre Abelard gives a short account of the strength of this belief and the monastery's harsh opposition to challenges to their claim. Abelard jokingly pointed out a possibility that the founder of the Abbey could have been another Dionysius, who is mentioned as Dionysius of Corinth by Eusebius. This irritated the community so much that eventually Abelard left in bitterness. As late as the sixteenth century, scholars might still argue for an Eastern origin of the Basilica of Saint-Denis: one was Godefroi Tillman, in a long preface to a paraphrase of the Letters of the Areopagite, printed in Paris in 1538 by Charlotte Guillard.^[11] Historians today^[12] do not dispute this point.^[4]

Depiction in art[link]

Denis' headless walk has led to his being depicted in art decapitated and dressed as a Bishop, holding his own mitred head in his hands.^[7] Handling the halo in this circumstance poses a unique challenge for the artist. Some put the halo where the head used to be; others have Saint Denis carrying the halo along with the head. Even more problematic than the halo was the issue of how much of his head Denis should be shown carrying. Throughout much of the Middle Ages, the Abbey of St Denis and the canons of Notre-Dame Cathedral were in dispute over ownership of the saint's head. The Abbey claimed that they had the entire body, whilst the Cathedral claimed to possess the top of his head which, they claimed, had been severed by the executioner's first blow.^[13] Thus while most depictions of St Denis show him holding his entire head, in others, the patrons have shown their support for the Cathedral's claim by depicting him carrying just the crown of his skull, as, for example in the mid 13th century window showing the story at Le Mans Cathedral (Bay 111).^[14]

Notes[link]

Further Reading[link]

• Drinkwater, J.F. (1987). The Gallic Empire : separatism and continuity in the north-western provinces of the Roman Empire, A.D. 260-274. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag Wiesbaden. ISBN 3-515-04806-5. 
• Gregory of Tours (1988). Glory of the martyrs. Raymond Van Dam, trans. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. ISBN 0-85323-236-9. 
• Lacaze, Charlotte (1979). The "Vie de Saint Denis" Manuscript. New York: Garland. 
• Van Dam, Raymond (1985). Leadership and community in late antique Gaul. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-05162-9. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Denis de Paris

• The Life, Miracles and Martyrdom of St. Denis (Dionysius, Dennis, Denys) Bishop & Martyr of the Church
• Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Denis
• St. Denis and Companions provides information about their feast on October 9

This article's lead section may not adequately summarize its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of the article's key points. (August 2009)

Vanessa Paradis
Background information
Birth name	Vanessa Chantal Paradis
Born	(1972-12-22) 22 December 1972 (age 39) Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Val-de-Marne, France
Genres	Rock, pop
Occupations	Vocalist, actress, model
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1981–present
Labels	Barclay Records (from 2000) Polydor (from 1987 to 2000)
Website	www.vanessaparadis.fr

Vanessa Chantal Paradis (French pronunciation: [vanɛsa ʃɑ̃tal paʁadi]) (born December 22, 1972) is a French singer, model and actress. She became a child star at 14 with the worldwide success of her single "Joe le taxi". Since then, she has accomplished a career in music, movies and modelling.

Childhood[link]

Vanessa Paradis was born on December 22, 1972, at Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, near Paris. She spent her childhood in Villiers-sur-Marne with her parents, André and Corinne Paradis. She was attracted to cinema early on. Her admiration for Marilyn Monroe led her to take dance and piano lessons. Paradis spent a lot of time with her uncle, Didier Pain, and his musician friends.

Career[link]

1981–1986[link]

Her first TV appearance was on the show L'École des fans in 1981. She recorded her first single, "La Magie des surprises-parties", in 1983 and performed it in an Italian festival in 1985 but failed to win the first prize.

1987–1991[link]

Vanessa Paradis at the 1991 César Awards.

Although "La Magie des surprises-parties" was not a hit, it paved the way for the song with which she became internationally famous, "Joe le taxi", in 1987, while she was still only 14 years old.^[1] It was #1 in France for 11 weeks^[2] and, unusually for a song sung in French, was released in the United Kingdom year (25 January), where it reached #3. It was taken from her first album M&J (it stands for Marilyn & John) which, although it gained a number 13 placing in France, drew little attention in the UK and did not enter the chart. In March 1989, aged 16, she decided to leave high school in order to pursue her career.

She released the album Variations sur le même t'aime in 1990, containing a remake of the Lou Reed song "Walk on the Wild Side". The album was written by acclaimed French composer Serge Gainsbourg, whom she met when she received the best singer award at Les Victoires de la Musique, on 4 February 1990. In 1990, Paradis won the 1990 César Award for Most Promising Actress for her role in Noce Blanche.

In 1991, Paradis promoted a fragrance for Chanel, titled Coco. In the advertisement, she was dressed in all black and feathers, portraying a bird swinging in a cage. The advert was shot by Jean-Paul Goude. Paradis spoke of her continued admiration of Chanel in 2010 saying, "The more I know them, the more I love Chanel."^[3]

1992–1993[link]

In 1992, she moved to the United States to work with Lenny Kravitz. Paradis started working on a new album in English, a language in which she was now fluent. Written and produced by Kravitz, the album, titled Vanessa Paradis, topped the French chart and briefly made the UK listings (number 45). One of the singles from it was "Be My Baby", which made number 5 in France and gave her another Top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at #6.

In March 1993, Paradis started her first international tour, the "Natural High Tour"; she performed in France, England and Canada. The tour was canceled, for health reasons, before she could perform in Japan and in the United States.

1993–2011[link]

Vanessa Paradis in January 2012.

In February 1994, Live was released in France.

In April 1994, Paradis filmed Élisa, under the direction of Jean Becker. Elisa was a big success in France, and was released internationally.

In 1997, Paradis played in Un amour de sorcière with Jeanne Moreau and Jean Reno, before filming Une chance sur deux, with Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo. In March 1999, La fille sur le Pont, by Patrice Leconte was released. This movie was shot and released in black and white. In 2004, she promoted Chanel's new handbags called Ligne Cambon. In 2005, she modeled for Chanel again for The New Mademoiselle handbag. In 2008, she modeled for Miu Miu.

On the musical side, she was included in the French children's album and concert Le Soldat Rose in 2006. Paradis released a new album (Divinidylle) in 2007 which was released in the UK on 11 December (September in France). There are three versions (regular, limited edition, and the Christmas edition). She started the Divinidylle Tour in October. Some concerts were filmed and a DVD/CD of the tour was released. Paradis won two 'Les Victoires de la Musique' awards for this album in February 2008. Some of her later projects include a greatest hits CD (Best of Vanessa Paradis) which includes the commercial jingle "I love Paris in the Springtime"; she also starred in the animated film Un monstre à Paris, released in 2010.

Her latest film in theatres is the romantic comedy Heartbreaker alongside Romain Duris and Andrew Lincoln, which grossed over €30 million in France and has also been well-received by critics. It was released in the UK in July 2010.^[4][5]

Canadian film director Jean-Marc Vallée cast Paradis in a starring role in his film Café de Flore, in which she plays a single mother in the 1960s with a down syndrome child.^[6] The film was released in 2011, and Paradis garnered a Genie Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 2012 Genie Awards.^[7]

She released an acoustic album in November 2010 entitled Une nuit à Versailles. The album was recorded at L'Opéra of the Palace of Versailles during her Vanessa Paradis Concert Acoustique Tour.^[8] She also released a set of DVDs in 2010 called Anthologie which collected rare live performances and interviews from 1987–2007.^[9]

In 2010, she became the face of Chanel's new lipstick, Rouge Coco, and also became the face of Chanel's new handbag line. Her 2011 international tour which included performances in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe and Turkey.^[10]

Personal life[link]

Paradis dated French singer Florent Pagny from 1988 to 1991. She was rumored to be dating American singer Lenny Kravitz from 1992 to 1996 and dated and lived with French-Slovenian actor Stanislas Merhar in 1997 and 1998.

Since 1998, Paradis has been in a relationship with American actor Johnny Depp. They have a daughter, Lily-Rose Melody Depp (born May 27, 1999), and a son, John Christopher "Jack" Depp III (born April 9, 2002).^[11]

Paradis and Depp divide their time between homes in Los Angeles and the village of Plan-de-la-Tour, France. They own a house in the Paris suburb of Meudon, an apartment in New York and an island in the Bahamas. Paradis has said that she longs for a house in England.

In 2000, Paradis released her album Bliss which was dedicated to Depp and their daughter.

In 2012, Vanessa Paradis, has officially denied the many rumors of possible separation,^[12] live on French TV.^[13]

Paradis has a sister, the actress Alysson Paradis, who is 11 years younger and has starred in many French horror films. The actor and film producer Didier Pain is their uncle.

Discography[link]

	Vanessa Paradis – Joe Le Taxi excerpt noicon An excerpt from Joe Le Taxi
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

• 1990: César Award of "Most Promising Actress" for Noce Blanche.
• 1990: Victoire De La Musique: "Female Performer of the Year".
• 1990: Prix Romy Schneider
• 1991: Victoire De La Musique: "Video of the Year" for Tandem, directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino.
• 1999: Nomination to César Awards for "Best Actress" for La fille sur le pont.
• 2001: Nomination to NRJ Music Awards of "Francophone Female Artist of the Year".
• 2001: Nomination to NRJ Music Awards of "Francophone Album of the Year" for Bliss.
• 2007: Named "Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres".
• 2008: Nomination to NRJ Music Awards of "French Album of the Year" for Divinidylle.
• 2008: Nomination to Trophy Women's Gold in the category "Shows".
• 2008: Victoire De La Musique: "Female Performer of the Year".
• 2008: Victoire De La Musique: "Pop Album of the Year" for Divinidylle.
• 2009: Victoire De La Musique: "Best Music DVD of the Year" for Divinidylle Tour

References[link]

External links and audio sample[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vanessa Paradis

• Official website
• Vanessa Paradis at Allmusic
• Vanessa Paradis at the Internet Movie Database

v t e Chanel Designers Coco Chanel · Karl Lagerfeld Owners Alain Wertheimer · Gerard Wertheimer · Jacques Wertheimer · Pierre Wertheimer Garments Little black dress · Pink Chanel suit of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Perfumes Bois des Îles · Chanel No. 5 · Chanel No. 19 · Chanel No. 22 · Coco Mademoiselle · Cuir de Russie Perfumers Ernest Beaux · Jacques Polge · Henri Robert Handbags Chanel 2.55 Watches Chanel J12 Spokesmodels Carole Bouquet · Catherine Deneuve · Inès de La Fressange · Nicole Kidman · Keira Knightley · Kate Moss · Vanessa Paradis · Audrey Tautou  · Gaspard Ulliel Films Chanel Solitaire · Coco Before Chanel · Coco Chanel · Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

Christoph Waltz
Waltz at the 82nd Academy Awards, March 7, 2010 in Hollywood, CA
Born	(1956-10-04) 4 October 1956 (age 55) Vienna, Austria
Nationality	German (1956–present), Austrian (2010–present)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1977–present

Christoph Waltz (German pronunciation: [kristɔf valts]; born 4 October 1956) is an Austrian actor, who also holds German citizenship.^[1][2][3]

He received international acclaim for his portrayal of SS-Standartenführer Hans Landa in the 2009 film Inglourious Basterds, for which he won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival and the BAFTA, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2009.

Early life[link]

Christoph Waltz was born in Vienna, Austria. He is the son of German-born Johannes Waltz and Austrian-born Elisabeth Urbancic, set and stage designers.^[4] His maternal grandmother was Burgtheater actress Maria Mayen, and his step-grandfather was actor Emmerich Reimers. His great-grandparents also worked in the theatre.^[5]

Career[link]

Waltz studied acting at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna. He also attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York. He started as a stage actor, performing at venues such as Zurich's Schauspielhaus Zürich, Vienna's Burgtheater, and the Salzburg Festival. He became a prolific television actor. In 2000, he made his directorial debut, with the German-language television production Wenn man sich traut.^[6]

In Quentin Tarantino's 2009 film Inglourious Basterds, Waltz portrayed SS-Standartenführer Hans Landa, aka "The Jew-Hunter". Clever, courteous and multilingual, but also self-serving, cunning, implacable, and murderous, the character of Landa was such that Tarantino feared he "might have written a part that was un-playable".^[7] Waltz received the Best Actor Award for the performance at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and received acclaim from critics and the public. In 2009, he began sweeping critics' awards circuits, receiving awards for Best Supporting Actor from the New York Film Critics Circle,^[8] Boston Society of Film Critics,^[9] Los Angeles Film Critics Association,^[9] and for Best Supporting Actor at the 67th Golden Globe Awards and the 16th Screen Actors Guild Awards in January 2009. The following year, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor^[10] and won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor.^[11]

He is, as of 2012^[update], the only actor to win for appearing in a Tarantino film. Tarantino acknowledged the importance of Waltz to his film by stating: "I think that Landa is one of the best characters I've ever written and ever will write, and Christoph played it to a tee… It's true that if I couldn't have found someone as good as Christoph I might not have made Inglourious Basterds".^[12] Waltz later played gangster Benjamin Chudnofsky in The Green Hornet (2011); that same year he starred in Water for Elephants, opposite Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon, and in Roman Polanski's Carnage with Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly and Kate Winslet.

Personal life[link]

Waltz with wife Judith Holste in 2010

Christoph Waltz is fluent in German, French, and English^[13] and speaks all three of the languages in Inglourious Basterds. Although Landa also spoke Italian in that movie, he stated on the Adam Carolla Podcast that he does not actually speak it in real life. He is his own voice-actor for German translations.

He has three adult children from a prior marriage, and is raising a young daughter with his wife, costume designer Judith Holste.^[14] Waltz currently maintains residences in New York, London, and Berlin.^[15][16]

Nationality[link]

Christoph Waltz is a dual citizen of both Austria and Germany.^[1] He considers himself Austrian, calling his German passport a "legal, citizenship law banality".^[3] His father held German citizenship, so he was born with German citizenship as well. He became an Austrian citizen after his Oscar win in 2010.

During a press conference he said: "I was born in Vienna, grew up in Vienna, went to school in Vienna, graduated in Vienna, studied in Vienna, started acting in Vienna – and there would be a few further Viennese links. How much more Austrian do you want?"^[17]

Filmography[link]