For a final farewell to singer Jane Birkin who died on July 16 in Paris, the family organized a mass at St Roch Church, parish of artists, on Monday July 24 at 10 a.m. She will then be buried in the Montparnasse cemetery.
Who was Jane Birkin?
Born in London on December 14, 1946, Jane Birkin was educated at a boarding school on the Isle of Wight. In 1964, she started at the cinema just like Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling. Her first film was a success, she then worked under the direction of Michelangelo Antonioni on the film « Blow up » which won the Palme d’Or in 1967.
Marriages and births
His daughter Kate Barry born of his union with the composer John Barry was born in 1967. She divorced shortly after. It was then that she decided to try her luck in France where she met Serge Gainsbourg on the set of the film « Slogan » by Pierre Grimblat. Having become his partner, she would form a media couple with him for 10 years and have a daughter Charlotte who was born in 1971. After a one-year break, we find her in « Don Juan or if Don Juan were a woman » in 1973 then she played the main role in Gainsbourg’s films including « I love you, me no more » which caused a scandal. Between 1975 and 1985, she took part in comedies such as Claude Zidi’s « Mustard rises to my nose ». In 1980, she left Serge Gainsbourg for many reasons and shared the life of director Jacques Doillon from 1980 to 1992 and with whom she had a daughter Lou who was born in 1982. She then shared her life and until her death on July 16, 2023 with the author Olivier Rolin.
Humanitarian actions and commitments
Jane Birkin has participated in many humanitarian actions including the concerts of « Les Enfoirés » 4 times (1994, 1996, 1997 and 2023) as well as the video recording for « Un air d’enfoirés » in 2022. where she was very sick.
Very young, she demonstrated in London against the death penalty and then in the 1970s against abortion. She supported « sans-papiers » and fought against homophobia. In 1995, she shared a walk with the association AIDES in solidarity with the victims of AIDS to alert the public authorities. In 2012, she took a stand for marriage and adoption by participating in a demonstration for « marriage for all ». In 2017, she was present at the « Emergency Chechnya » support evening during the media coverage of the persecution of LGBT people in Chechnya and Donbass. She was against the far right of Jean-Marie Le Pen during the 2002 presidential elections and against Marine Le Pen in 2017. Supporting the opponent Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese people, since 1999, she wrote and performed in 2007, a song pleading for the fight she was leading against the ruling junta, Amnesty International is associated with it. In 2009, she launched a campaign to boycott the company Total to stop its investments in Burma. In 2018, after the resignation of Nicolas Hulot, she signed with Juliette Binoche the platform against global warming, « The greatest challenge in the history of humanity », on the front page of the newspaper « Le Monde » with the title « Call of 200 personalities to save the planet ».
A busy life
With nearly 120 films between 1965 and 2010 and her daughter Charlotte’s documentary in 2020, Jane Birkin left her mark on cinema. She was also in the credits of 12 television productions, screenwriter 3 times (1987, 1992 and 2007) but also director in 1992 (Oh pardon, you were sleeping) and 2007 (Boxes). In the theater, as an actress, she distinguished herself 9 times and 2 times as an author. Finally, she produced the musical show « Arabesque ».
His discography is also remarkable with 14 Studio albums between 1969 and 2020; 8 live albums between 1987 and 2002 and 5 compilations between 1985 and 2002. She also participated in 17 duet or tribute albums between 1988 and 2023. To this is added a VHS and DVD videography between 1987 AND 2013, without forgetting about thirty tours around the world between 2009 and 2019.
Honors
Jane Birkin received the trophy for « female artist of the year » at the « Victoires de la Musique » 1992; the « Gérard of female despair » for Thelma, Louise and Chantal » in 2011 and the « Victoire d’honneur » at the « Victoires de la Musique » 2021. She was also nominated twice (1985,1987) for the César for best actress; in 1990 for the Molière for actress and and in 1992 for the César for best actress in a supporting role).
In France, she received several decorations (Knight of the National Order of Merit in 2004 and Officer in 2015; Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2022). In 1989, she refused the Legion of Honor. In the UK, she was made a 4th Class Officer of the Order of the British Empire in a civilian capacity in 2001.
In 2018, Japan awarded him the Gold Ribbon and the 4th Class Rosette of the Order of the Rising Sun.
The funeral
Jane Birkin died on July 16 at her home, 50 rue d’Assas in Paris after « 16 years of fierce battle against disease » (leukemia and stroke).
The most moving moments were the entry of the coffin carried by the 2 sisters to the sound of « la Javanaise » as well as their speeches, just like that of Olivier Rolin, Jane’s last companion. The departure of the convoy under the applause to the sound of « Jane B ». was also disturbing.
She had wished that the song « Jane B » which, according to her, defined her accompanies her funeral. Many personalities were present at St Roch church around her daughters Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon, her last companion Olivier Rolin and the actress’ 5 grandchildren (Ben, Alice and Joe Attal; Marlowe Jack Tiger Mitchell, Lou’s son and Roman de Kermadec, Kate’s son) to pay her a last tribute. Among them were Jacqueline, Serge Gainsbourg’s older sister, aged 97, Yvan Attal, companion of Charlotte Gainsbourg and Stéphane Manel, companion of Lou Doillon and father of her second child born in 2022, Olivier Gluzman, his agent, Andrew Birkin, his brother, actresses and actors Catherine Deneuve, Chiara Mastroianni, Carole Bouquet, Maïwenn, Charlotte Rampling, Emmanuelle Béart, Sandrine Kiberlain and her daughter Suzanne Lindon, Nicole Calfan, Bambou and her son Lucien Gainsbourg (Lulu), Jean-Luc Anglade, José Garcia, Pierre Arditi; the singers and singers Vanessa Paradis accompanied by Samuel Benchetrit, Sheila, Alain Souchon who came with his sons, Salvatore Adamo, Mathieu Chedid, Etienne Daho, Benjamin Biolay, Eddy de Pretto, as well as the presenter Nagui. The wife of the President of the Republic Brigitte Macron and the Minister of Culture Rima Abdul-Malak. had made the trip. Access to the church was reserved for relatives and guests, but a giant screen at the corner of rue S-Honoré and rue des Pyramides broadcast the ceremony live, which was followed by cremation at Père-Lachaise and then burial in the Montparnasse cemetery (division 11) alongside his daughter Kate who died in 2013 and not far from Serge Gainsbourg (avenue Transversale, 1st division, 1st section).
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