Ali Ikhwan
Thirteen years after her meteoric rise to international stardom, Adèle Exarchopoulos has once again etched her name into the history of the Cannes Film Festival. In 2013, she became a household name when she, alongside co-star Léa Seydoux and director Abdellatif Kechiche, shared the prestigious Palme d’Or for the groundbreaking drama Blue Is the Warmest Color. This past Sunday, the French actress reaffirmed her status as one of her generation’s most compelling talents, receiving a monumental 12-minute standing ovation—the longest ever recorded—for her lead performance in Jeanne Herry’s latest film, Another Day (also known as Garance).
The Premiere: A Record-Breaking Ovation
The premiere of Another Day in the Cannes Competition was more than just a screening; it was a cultural event that signaled a new chapter for both Exarchopoulos and Herry. As the credits rolled on the story of a gifted actress navigating the turbulent waters of professional and personal instability, the Grand Théâtre Lumière erupted. The 12-minute ovation serves as a testament to the visceral impact of the film, which explores the intersections of identity, addiction, and the often-harsh realities of the entertainment industry.
For Exarchopoulos, who has spent over a decade navigating the pressures of fame, the role of Garance—a character who struggles to maintain equilibrium while chasing the dream of acting—felt deeply personal and profoundly demanding.
Chronology of a Career: From Discovery to Mastery
To understand the gravity of this moment, one must look back at the trajectory of Exarchopoulos’s career. Her 2013 debut in Blue Is the Warmest Color was a "dazzling transition from shadow to light," as she describes it. At just 18 years old, she was thrust into the global spotlight.
"Cannes with Blue Is the Warmest Color changed my path," she reflects. "I experienced it with immense joy because my best friends were with me, and because Léa and I share a unique bond. Seeing the power of love—what that love story sparked—made me realize the power of cinema."
Following that breakthrough, Exarchopoulos did not rest on her laurels. She cultivated a filmography marked by artistic risk, choosing projects that favor psychological depth over commercial convenience. Her reunion with director Jeanne Herry—following their successful collaboration on the 2023 film All Your Faces—marked a shift toward more complex, character-driven narratives. Another Day represents the culmination of this artistic maturity, showcasing an actress who has evolved from an intuitive performer into a master of her craft.
The Anatomy of Another Day: A Study in Addiction
Another Day follows the life of Garance, a young woman striving for success in the theater and film world while battling the insidious progression of alcohol addiction. The film is not a typical cautionary tale; rather, it is a nuanced examination of how addiction functions as a silent, lonely disease.
Director Jeanne Herry’s approach to the subject was characteristically scholarly. Before production began, Herry immersed herself in the study of addiction, drawing inspiration from podcasts, academic research, and, most crucially, support groups.
"Jeanne is a true scholar when she tackles a subject," Exarchopoulos notes. "Before coming to see me, she had studied addiction in countless forms—through physical therapies, support groups, and academic studies. The inspiration for this film came from a podcast featuring a young woman discussing her struggle."
To prepare for the role, Exarchopoulos was introduced to a support group at the Villejuif hospital. "It was a deeply-enriching experience," she explains. "I felt that in every addiction, there is immense loneliness, a profound lack of love. It’s hard work for them to love themselves… it was really precious to me to be around those women."
The Creative Process: Influences and Artistic Choices
When asked about the aesthetic and emotional influences for her performance, Exarchopoulos points to the work of Gena Rowlands. Specifically, she cites Opening Night and A Woman Under the Influence as primary inspirations for the film’s tone.
"Gena Rowlands has this wild intensity, and she never looks at herself or cares how she looks," Exarchopoulos says. "That was the kind of movie Jeanne asked me to watch. Opening Night is the story of an actress… you have many dreams and expectations, but you are dependent on people’s desires. That is the difficulty for Garance."
Exarchopoulos also emphasizes that her own experiences mirror Garance’s in ways that transcend the screen. She identifies with the character’s curiosity, her complicated relationship with family, and the existential dread that often accompanies one’s late twenties. "You grow up and you make this kind of weird stuff where you’re like, ‘OK, where am I? Am I who I want to be, where I want to be, and with whom I want to be?’"
Implications: The Industry and the Need for Kindness
One of the most poignant aspects of the discourse surrounding Another Day is the film’s critique of the entertainment industry. Exarchopoulos is candid about the systemic pressures that young actors face, and the often-callous nature of the "machine."
"I think they created this kind of system and didn’t really care about whether it could affect people or not," she says, referring to the lack of mental health infrastructure for performers. "Maybe it’s going to be cheesy what I’m going to say, but sometimes just a little more kindness is needed. A small gesture can change this business."
She recounts a humorous but telling anecdote about her first experience with an American agent after her success in 2013. Expecting a creative partnership, she found herself in a system that prioritized networking over artistic collaboration. "In France, you don’t have meetings with people if there is no project. I went to LA, and they were like, ‘We love your work! We can’t wait to work with you!’ I called my dad and said, ‘Daddy, I’m at Universal, and they want to work with me!’ Then I went to the second meeting, and it was exactly the same. I called my dad back and said, ‘Daddy, no one is going to work with me, it’s just what they do here.’"
This realization—that the industry is often built on performative enthusiasm rather than substance—served as the "end of a fantasy" for the young actress, forcing her to find her own path, one that prioritizes human connection and artistic integrity over the hollow promises of Hollywood.
Conclusion: A Legacy in the Making
As Another Day prepares for its wider release, the conversation surrounding the film continues to grow. It is a work that challenges both the audience and the industry to consider the human cost of ambition. For Adèle Exarchopoulos, the film serves as a landmark achievement, cementing her role as a voice for her generation.
Her ability to inhabit a character like Garance with such raw, unvarnished honesty proves that while she has matured significantly since her Cannes debut, her commitment to the "individual, realistic journey" remains unchanged. Whether she is standing on the Croisette receiving a record-breaking ovation or reflecting on the loneliness of the industry, Exarchopoulos remains an artist who demands that we look deeper, listen closer, and, above all, treat one another with the humanity that the characters she portrays so desperately seek.
Evan Lee Salim
Lina Hope
