Charlotte Gainsbourg: A Ballad of Intimacy
She sits cross-legged on the sofa, lost in thought. Her head is bowed, her hair untamed and tousled. Deep brown eyes flash from beneath her dark brown fringe. When we met Charlotte Gainsbourg one Tuesday morning in a hotel in Berlin, she had the air of someone who has just got out of bed. The actress and musician seems fragile and shy. Like a baby bird that’s just fallen out of the nest. Not like an international star who’s at home on the red carpets of the world and counts people like Nicolas Godin from the band Air among her closest friends. French-born Gainsbourg had a history even before she came into this world. As the daughter of Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg, she was always expected to grow up to be something special, though it was never stipulated what, exactly. Both her films and her music broke social taboos and dealt with issues on the fringes of society. She strives to do away with all limitations and seeks the extreme, and that search has been successful. Not least of all in the film Antichrist by Lars von Trier, where her nude scenes caused a stir. Her last album, IRM, produced by Beck, also proved her ability to express her innermost feelings through music, continuing a family tradition of extremely provocative pop, but on her own terms. She is Charlotte. Gentle, intense, a little flaky. We talked to her about self-discovery, missing her family and her fear of dying. During our interview, Gainsbourg created such a feeling of intimacy, it gave us gooseflesh. She talks with breathtaking honesty and leaves a lasting impression indelibly printed on the memory, like a busker’s ballad overheard on the banks of the Seine.
QVEST: Your last album, IRM, gave us an insight into the inner thoughts of Charlotte Gainsbourg. It’s been some time since that record was released; what’s it like inside Charlotte at the moment?
Charlotte Gainsbourg : Today? You mean now, at this very moment? … erm, to be really honest, I’m feeling a little panicky because I know I’ve got a lot of appointments to keep and I know I won’t have much time to spend with my family. I have seen them, but mostly while I was working. I don’t count that. I haven’t spent a day just doing ›nothing‹ for ages now. In the past few months, for example, I’ve had to rehearse with my band for the tour while doing the promotion for my next film at the same time. My family has always been number one for me, top priority. But these days I look at my diary and think, I can’t manage all that. I don’t know where the limits are. You might think I’m happy that way. I mean, I wouldn’t like to be sitting in an office all day. In the same place, every day, where nothing changes. I love my work. But, sometimes, you just don’t know where you stand. I have a lot of people who help me promote my projects, and that’s great. But it’s important not to forget about the right balance – and at the moment I feel like I’ve lost that balance.
When did you last speak to your family?
Yesterday.
What did they say? Are they alright?
Yes, they’re fine. I’m just organising a birthday party for Saturday and so it’s all about that at the moment …
That must be a completely different world to the media life …
Of course. They’re my family. What everybody has, and what I live for. Nothing is more important. The only time I can really breathe is when I’m with the people I love …
Do you have family rituals? Like a book you love to read to your children, for example?
The lovely thing is, when I was a child my mother used to read the book Where the Wild Things Are to me. I then read it to my son and daughter, and just recently, a film of the book by Spike Jonze came out – and I was the voice of one of the monsters! The film is incredible. I love that film because the story is connected with a lot of very pleasant memories for me.
What do your children think about it? Are they proud of their mum?
I don’t think they’re really interested in that. The one good thing was that I was able to watch the film with my daughter before it came out at the cinema. Of course, that was a great privilege. But to be honest, they couldn’t give a shit about it. But that’s really good and important because it keeps them grounded. That’s very important. They’re not proud or un-proud. They have their lives …
