Artist in residence

Artist in Residence: Zabou Breitman

In February and March 2019, Flinders University together with the Ambassade de France will welcome French actor and director Zabou Breitman to the Flinders Bedford Park campus as an Artist in Residence.

This residency will act to further strengthen Flinders’ relationship with France, providing education and innovation opportunities to staff, students and the general public.

Upcoming events

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About Zabou Breitman

Zabou (Isabelle) Breitman, daughter of author and comedian Jean-Claude Deret and actress Céline Léger, is an acclaimed, and highly accomplished, French actress and director. Involved in the industry since childhood, at just four years old she landed a role in Thierry La Fronde, a French soap opera series written by her father that aired from 1963-66.

As a young adult, Zabou studied cinema, modern Greek and English, making her film debut in “She sees dwarfs everywhere!”. She also acted in “La Baule-les-Pins”, “Kitchen and outbuildings”, “My small business” and “The crisis” by Coline Serreau. In 2002, she performed in “An almost peaceful world” by Michel Deville and then Rémi Bezançon’s “The first day of the rest of your life”. She also played the wife of Guillaume Canet in “Narco” (2004) and acted in “The Exercise of the state” by Peter Schoeller.

In 2001 she directed her first feature film, “Remembering beautiful things”, a drama comedy about memory. In 2003, the film received three Caesar (French Academy Awards), including for best first feature film. Her second feature film, “The Man of his life” was released in 2006, with her third “I loved him” in 2009, which was adapted from the novel by Anna Gavalda.

On stage, she has performed under the direction of Roger Planchon in “George Dandin” by Molière (1987), Jacques Weber in “Tartuffe” by Molière (1995), Bernard Murat in “Skylight” by David Hare (1998), Daniel Benoin in “The Young Girl and Death” by Ariel Dorfman (1999) Frédéric Bélier-Garcia in “Hilda” by Marie Ndiaye (2002), Yasmina Reza in “How do you relate the party” at the Rond-Point Theater (2014).

In 2002, she directed the play “Winter under the table” by Roland Topor at the Theatre de l’Atelier in Paris. For this production, she won the Molière award for best staging, best show, best actress (Isabelle Carré), best actor (Dominique Pinon), best décor (Jacques Gabel) and best lighting (André Diot).

In 2009 she received Molière awards for her theatre adaptation of Raymond Depardon’s “The People”. In 2010, she directed “The Company of the Specters” by Lydie Salvayre at Montfort theater in Paris. In 2011, she directed “The Medal” by Lydie Salvayre at the Theatre du Rond-Point on the Champs Elysées and then went on to direct “The Ribadier System” at the Comédie-Française.

Events

Foolz: Imperturbable Logic of the Fool
18 March, 7.30pm
Matthew Flinders Theatre, Flinders University

Inspired by the ABC documentary series “Changing Minds: The Inside Story”, which follows patients in the Mental Health Unit of Campbelltown Hospital, Foolz: Imperturbable Logic of the Fool follows the lives of young patients who are at risk of developing mental illness.

This performance will star Flinders University Drama Centre graduates and will be directed by acclaimed French actress and director Zabou Breitman.

You are invited to this free production on behalf of Flinders University and the Embassy of France in Australia.

Register for this free event

Study French at Flinders

French is spoken in more than 50 countries, including some of Australia’s closest neighbours.

It’s one of the most widely taught second languages in the world and it’s a stepping stone to learning a range of other Romance languages, from Italian to Spanish to Portuguese. French is a language of diplomacy and the official working language of many major international organisations—like the United Nations, the European Community, the Olympic Games movement and the International Red Cross.

Learn to speak and read French, delve into French culture and build a global understanding of the world. With the internationalisation of the job market, graduates with a qualification in French will have greater employment opportunities both in Australia and overseas.

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