Valérie Donzelli (born 2 March 1973) is a French actress and filmmaker. She has directed six feature films and two short films since 2008, including Declaration of War (2011), Just the Two of Us (2023) and At Work (2025).
Early life Valérie Donzelli was born in Épinal (France). She grew up in Créteil, near Paris. She moved to Lille with her family when she was 14 years old before going back to Paris at the age of 19. Before starting to work in the cinema, Donzelli first studied architecture, but abandoned it quickly. She started playing theatre at the municipal conservatory of the 10th arrondissement of Paris, but always kept a bad memory of this period. For a living, she worked at a bakery in Paris. She met Jérémie Elkaïm at that time, who became her partner, both in life and at work, and who encouraged her to quit the conservatory and her job at the bakery to become an actress. They now have two kids; the oldest one, Gabriel, inspired the movie Declaration of War. They are now separated, but still have a close relationship.
Career In 2001, Valérie Donzelli was the leading actress in Martha Martha, by Sandrine Veysset, which was presented at Directors' Fortnight, Le Plus Beau Jour de ma vie, and also Entre ses mains. She achieved great success among French public thanks to the French TV show Clara Sheller (2005), in which she plays Jeanne, best friend of the main character. Donzelli's first film, The Queen of Hearts (), in which she was the leading actress, was more successful than expected. Jérémie Elkaïm is also co-writer. The film was presented at Locarno International Film Festival. Despite its low budget, the film can be considered a success because of its 30,000 spectators.
In 2011, with the help of her now ex-partner Jérémie Elkaïm, Valérie Donzelli directed her second full-length feature film, Declaration of War. This movie, presented during the 2011 Cannes Festival, achieved great success, both with the public and critics, in France. It is directly inspired by their private life, relating how their couple fought against their son's cancer when he was 18 months. As Tim Palmer notes, "Declaration of War serves as an emblematic, even quintessential, contemporary French production: a barometer to gauge film industry standards and prevailing French cultural taste, a standard-bearer of ostensibly progressive materials, an ambassador text for French screen values." The movie was selected for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012, but was not part of the final list.
Donzelli directed once again Jérémie Elkaïm in Hand in Hand (2012), with also Valérie Lemercier in the leading role.
Donzelli considers that this is always a politic and engaged gesture to make films as women, and admires Agnès Varda for her work and her status of first women filmmaker into French Cinema.
Valérie Donzelli is part of the jury during Locarno International Film Festival in 2013. She presents Que d'Amour!, a TV adaptation from the play The Game of Love and Chance (Le Jeu de l'Amour et du Hasard), by Marivaux, with Comédie-Française' sociétaires.
Her 2015 film Marguerite & Julien was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. She was named as the president of the jury of the Critics' Week section of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
Filmography
As filmmaker Feature films Year English TitleOriginal title Notes 2009 The Queen of HeartsLa Reine des pommesCo-written with Jérémie Elkaïm and Dorothée Sebbag 2011 Declaration of WarLa Guerre est déclaréeCo-written with Jérémie Elkaïm 2012 Hand in HandMain dans la mainCo-written with Gilles Marchand and Jérémie Elkaïm 2015 Marguerite & JulienMarguerite et Julien 2019 Notre Dame 2023 Just the Two of UsL'Amour et les ForêtsCo-written with Audrey Diwan 2025 At WorkÀ pied d'œuvre Co-written with Gilles Marchand
Short films Year Title Director Screenwriter Notes 2000 Demoiselle 2007 Il fait beau dans la plus belle ville du monde 2010 Madeleine et le facteur 2012 La Vie parisienne Original idea 2018 Le cinéma de maman
Television Year Title Director Screenwriter Notes 2013 Que d'amour! TV movieAdaptation from The Game of Love and Chance, by Marivaux 2021 Nona et ses filles 9 episodes
Acting credits
Features Year Title Role Director 2001 Martha Martha Martha Sandrine Veysset Les Âmes câlines Émilie Thomas Bardinet 2003 Who Killed Bambi? Nathalie Gilles Marchand That Woman Claire Atken Guillaume Nicloux 2005 Le Plus Beau Jour de ma vie Éléonore Julie Lipinski Mystification ou l'histoire des portraits Emilie Sandrine Rinaldi Voici venu le temps Soniéra Noubi-Datch Alain Guiraudie Entre ses mains Valérie Anne Fontaine 2006 The Untouchable theatre actress Benoît Jacquot L'Homme qui rêvait d'un enfant Suzanne Delphine Gleize 2007 7 ans Maïté Jean-Pascal Hattu 2009 The Queen of Hearts Adèle Valérie Donzelli 2010 Ivory Tower Baker Adam Traynor 2011 Declaration of War Juliette Herself Belleville Tokyo Marie Tourelle Élise Girard Iris in Bloom Monika Valérie Mréjen and Bertrand Schefer Pourquoi tu pleures? Anna Katia Lewkowicz L'Art de séduire Estelle Guy Mazarguil 2012 Hand in Hand Véro Herself 2013 Opium Valentine Hugo Arielle Dombasle The Big Bad Wolf Nathalie Delcroix Nicolas Charlet and Bruno Lavaine Les Grandes Ondes (à l'ouest) Julie Lionel Baier 2014 Saint Laurent Renée Bertrand Bonello 2015 The White Knights Françoise Dubois Joachim Lafosse Orage Louise Fabrice Camoin 2019 Mais vous êtes fous Maître Mangin Audrey Diwan Notre dame Maud Crayon Herself 2020 Trop d'amour La réalisatrice dans le rêve Frankie Wallach 2021 On est fait pour s'entendre Léna Pascal Elbé Madeleine Collins Madeleine Reynal Antoine Barraud 2022 Azuro Sara Matthieu Rozé 2023 Making of Alice Cédric Kahn 2024 Ma vie ma gueule La soeur de Barbie Sophie Fillières2025 Les musiciens Astrid Carlson Grégory Magne Rapaces Solveig Rocher Peter DourountzisAt WorkPaul's ex-wifeHerself
Short films Year Title Role Director 1998 Herbert C. Berliner Marc Gibaja 1999 Le Spectateur Cynthia Marc Gibaja 2000 Demoiselle Adèle Valérie Donzelli 2001 Confessions dans un bain Sophie Marc Gibaja Le Chien, le chat et le cibachrome La candidate peintre Didier Blasco 2003 Ni vue, ni connue Alice Dorothée Sebbagh Le Lion volatil La cliente en pleurs Agnès Varda 2004 Frédérique amoureuse Frédérique Pierre Lacan Le Nécrophile La prostituée Philippe Barassat 2005 On est mort un million de fois Valentine Dorothée Sebbagh 2006 Odile... Odile Bénédicte Delgéhier 2007 Abattoir Judith Didier Blasco Il fait beau dans la plus belle ville du monde Adèle Valérie Donzelli 2008 C'est pour quand? La jeune fille Katia Lewkowicz 2009 Juliette Juliette Sylvie Ballyot 2010 Madeleine et le facteur Madeleine Herself Manu Julie Jérémie Elkaïm 2012 Révolution Nadia Jandeau 2017 Quand la ville dort La prof (voice) Simon Helloco
Television Year Title Role Director Notes 1999 Dossier: disparus épisode Amanda Amanda/Muriel Frédéric Demont et Philippe Lefebvre 1999 Les Terres froides Isabelle Sébastien Lifshitz 2002 Sous mes yeux Alison Virginie Wagon 2003 Motus La stagiaire d'Antoine Laurence Ferreira Barbosa 2005 Le Cocon, débuts à l'hôpital Nathalie Pascale Dallet Clara Sheller Jeanne Renaud Bertrand 2006 Mentir un peu Blandine Agnès Obadia Passés troubles Sophie Valatier Serge Meynard 2007 Les Camarades Julie François Luciani Miniseries 2008 Sa raison d'être Nathalie Renaud Bertrand Mafiosa, le clan Saison 2 L'avocate Eric Rochant 2009 La Belle vie by Virginie Wagon Béa 2018 Nox Emma Delage Mabrouk El Mechri 2021 Nona et ses filles George Herself 9 episodes
Accolades 2010: Public Prize at the Angers European First Film Festival for The Queen of Hearts 2011: Valois d’Or at Festival du film francophone d’Angoulême for Declaration of War 2012: Grand Prix at Cabourg Film Festival for Declaration of War 2012: Jury Prize, Public Prize, and Bloggers Prix at the Festival Paris Cinéma for Declaration of War 2012: Étoile d'or du meilleur scénario for Declaration of War Nomination for Best film for Declaration of War, Cesar Awards 2012 Nomination for Best Director for Declaration of War, Cesar Awards 2012 Nomination for Best Actress for Declaration of War, Cesar Awards 2012 Nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Declaration of War, Cesar Awards 2012
References
Further reading Valerie Donzelli se tourne vers la télévision pour son prochain film "Un film dansé pour Valérie Donzelli", Cahiers du cinéma, no 670, septembre 2011, p. 62 La Guerre est déclarée [archive], sur jpbox-office.com (consulted March 16, 2014)
External links
Valérie Donzelli via Allociné