Jane Birkin
Encyclopedia
Jane Mallory Birkin, OBE (born 14 December 1946) is an English
-born actress and singer who lives in France
. In recent years she has written her own album, directed a film and become an outspoken proponent of democracy
in Burma.
, London
. Her mother, Judy Campbell
, was an English actress, best known for her work on stage. Her father, David Birkin, was a Royal Navy
lieutenant-commander and World War II
spy
. Her brother is the screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin. She was educated at Upper Chine School, Isle of Wight
.
scene of the 1960s, appearing briefly in the 1966 film Blowup
, and as the fantasy-like model in the psychedelic Wonderwall
from 1968. That same year, she auditioned in France for the lead female role in Slogan. Though she did not speak French
, she won the role. She co-starred with Serge Gainsbourg
, and performed with him on the film's theme song, "La chanson de slogan" — the first of many collaborations between the two. In 1969, she and Gainsbourg released the duet "Je t'aime... moi non plus
" ("I love you... me neither"). Gainsbourg originally wrote the song for Brigitte Bardot
. The song caused a scandal for its sexual explicitness, and was banned by radio stations in Italy
, Spain
, and the UK.
Je t'aime made UK chart history in that on 4 October 1969 and the following week on 11 October. The song was at two different chart positions even though it is the same song, the same artists, and the same recorded version. The only difference was that they were on different record labels. It was originally released on the Fontana label, but due to its controversy, Fontana withdrew the record which was then released on the Major Minor label. Because there were Fontana singles still in the shops along with the Major Minor release, on 4 October 1969 the Major Minor release was at number 3 and the Fontana single at number 16. Also at that time it was the biggest ever selling single for a completely foreign language record. She appeared on Gainsbourg's 1971 album Histoire de Melody Nelson
, portraying the Lolita
-like protagonist in song and on the cover.
She took a break from acting in 1971–72, but returned as Brigitte Bardot's lover in Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman
in 1973. In 1975, she appeared in Gainsbourg's first film, Je t'aime... moi non plus
, which created a stir for frank examination of sexual ambiguity. For this performance she was nominated for a Best Actress César Award
.
Birkin appeared in the Agatha Christie
films Death on the Nile
(1978) and Evil Under the Sun
(1982), and recorded several albums, including Baby Alone in Babylone, Amours des Feintes, Lolita Go Home and Rendez-vous. She won Female Artist of the Year in the 1992 Victoires de la Musique
. She starred in two films directed by Jacques Doillon
– as Anne in La fille prodigue (1981) and as Alma in La pirate (1984, nominated for a César Award). This work led to an invitation from Patrice Chéreau
to star on stage in La Fausse suivante
by Marivaux at Nanterre
. In 1980 she worked with director Herbert Vesely on Egon Schiele Exzess und Bestrafung
, appearing as the mistress of Austrian artist Egon Schiele
, played by Mathieu Carrière
. Jacques Rivette
collaborated with her in Love on the Ground (1983) and La Belle Noiseuse
(1991, Nominated Césars best supporting actress). She appeared in Merchant Ivory
's A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries
(1998, also used her song "Di Doo Dah") and Merci Docteur Rey
(2002), while Le Divorce
s end title song featured her singing "L'Anamour", composed by Gainsbourg. In 2006, she played the title role
in Elektra
, directed by Philippe Calvario in France.
Birkin recorded the song "Beauty" on French producer Hector Zazou
's 2003 album Strong Currents. The cover art of Have You Fed the Fish?
by singer-songwriter Badly Drawn Boy
features her image. The album features her daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg
on backing vocals.
chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas
was seated next to Birkin on a flight from Paris to London. She had just placed her straw bag in the overhead compartment of her seat, but the contents fell to the ground, leaving her to scramble to replace the contents. Birkin explained to Dumas that it had been difficult to find a leather weekend bag she liked. In 1984, he created a black supple leather bag for her: the Birkin bag
, based on an 1892 design. She used the bag for herself then later changed her mind. Nevertheless, the bag has since become an icon.
on immigrant welfare and AIDS
issues. She has visited Bosnia, Rwanda
and Palestine
.
. She has also been awarded the French Ordre National du Mérite
.
, the English composer who wrote the musical score to the James Bond movies
. Their daughter, photographer Kate Barry, was born on 8 April 1967. The marriage ended in 1968.
She had a passionate and creative relationship with her mentor Serge Gainsbourg
, whom she met on the set of Slogan in 1968, a relationship that lasted 13 years.
They never married, despite rumours and misreporting to the contrary. In 1971 they had a daughter, the actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg
. They separated in 1980.
On 4 September 1982 she gave birth to her third daughter, Lou Doillon
, from her relationship with the director Jacques Doillon
They separated in the 1990s. The Observer
reported in 2007 that Doillon "could not compete with her grief for Gainsbourg" (who died in 1991), and that she had lived alone since their separation.
Live albums
Source
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-born actress and singer who lives in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In recent years she has written her own album, directed a film and become an outspoken proponent of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
in Burma.
Early life
Jane Mallory Birkin was born on 14 December 1946, in MaryleboneMarylebone
Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Her mother, Judy Campbell
Judy Campbell
Judy Campbell was an English light comedy actress and occasional playwright, Noël Coward's muse. Her daughter is the actor and singer Jane Birkin, her son the screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin, and among her grandchildren are the actresses Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon, the poet Anno...
, was an English actress, best known for her work on stage. Her father, David Birkin, was a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
lieutenant-commander and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
spy
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
. Her brother is the screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin. She was educated at Upper Chine School, Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
.
Career
Birkin emerged in the Swinging LondonSwinging London
Swinging London is a catch-all term applied to the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in London, in the 1960s.It was a youth-oriented phenomenon that emphasised the new and modern. It was a period of optimism and hedonism, and a cultural revolution. One catalyst was the recovery of the...
scene of the 1960s, appearing briefly in the 1966 film Blowup
Blowup
Blowup is a 1966 film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, his first English-language film.It tells of a British photographer's accidental involvement with a murder, inspired by Julio Cortázar's short story, "Las babas del diablo" or "The Devil's Drool" , translated also as Blow-Up, and by the life...
, and as the fantasy-like model in the psychedelic Wonderwall
Wonderwall (film)
Wonderwall is the title of a 1968 film by first-time director Joe Massot that starred Jack MacGowran, Jane Birkin, Richard Wattis, Irene Handl, and Iain Quarrier, and featured cameos by Anita Pallenberg and Dutch designers The Fool...
from 1968. That same year, she auditioned in France for the lead female role in Slogan. Though she did not speak French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, she won the role. She co-starred with Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
, and performed with him on the film's theme song, "La chanson de slogan" — the first of many collaborations between the two. In 1969, she and Gainsbourg released the duet "Je t'aime... moi non plus
Je t'aime... moi non plus
"Je t'aime… moi non plus" is a French duet written by Serge Gainsbourg. It was written for and sung with Brigitte Bardot in 1967, but that version was not released until 1986. In 1969, Gainsbourg recorded a version with his lover, Jane Birkin. It reached number one in the UK, but was banned in...
" ("I love you... me neither"). Gainsbourg originally wrote the song for Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot is a French former fashion model, actress, singer and animal rights activist. She was one of the best-known sex-symbols of the 1960s.In her early life, Bardot was an aspiring ballet dancer...
. The song caused a scandal for its sexual explicitness, and was banned by radio stations in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and the UK.
Je t'aime made UK chart history in that on 4 October 1969 and the following week on 11 October. The song was at two different chart positions even though it is the same song, the same artists, and the same recorded version. The only difference was that they were on different record labels. It was originally released on the Fontana label, but due to its controversy, Fontana withdrew the record which was then released on the Major Minor label. Because there were Fontana singles still in the shops along with the Major Minor release, on 4 October 1969 the Major Minor release was at number 3 and the Fontana single at number 16. Also at that time it was the biggest ever selling single for a completely foreign language record. She appeared on Gainsbourg's 1971 album Histoire de Melody Nelson
Histoire de Melody Nelson
Histoire de Melody Nelson is a 1971 concept album by French songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. The Lolita-esque pseudo-autobiographical plot involves the middle-aged Gainsbourg unintentionally colliding his Rolls Royce Silver Ghost into teenage nymphet Melody Nelson's bicycle, and the subsequent...
, portraying the Lolita
Lolita
Lolita is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, first written in English and published in 1955 in Paris and 1958 in New York, and later translated by the author into Russian...
-like protagonist in song and on the cover.
Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman
Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman is a 1973 French-Italian drama film by Roger Vadim. It sees Vadim reunite with his leading lady and ex-wife Brigitte Bardot for their fifth film together...
in 1973. In 1975, she appeared in Gainsbourg's first film, Je t'aime... moi non plus
Je t'aime... moi non plus (film)
Je t'aime moi non plus is a 1976 feature film directed by Serge Gainsbourg, starring Jane Birkin, Hugues Quester and Joe Dallesandro, and featuring a cameo by Gérard Depardieu.- Plot introduction :...
, which created a stir for frank examination of sexual ambiguity. For this performance she was nominated for a Best Actress César Award
César Award
The César Award is the national film award of France, first given out in 1975. The nominations are selected by the members of the Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma....
.
Birkin appeared in the Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
films Death on the Nile
Death on the Nile (1978 film)
Death on the Nile is a 1978 film based on the Agatha Christie mystery novel Death on the Nile, directed by John Guillermin. The film features the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot played by Peter Ustinov plus an all-star cast. It takes place in Egypt, mostly on the Nile River...
(1978) and Evil Under the Sun
Evil Under the Sun (1982 film)
Evil Under the Sun is a 1982 British mystery film based on the 1941 novel Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie.-Production:The screenplay was written by Anthony Shaffer and an uncredited Barry Sandler...
(1982), and recorded several albums, including Baby Alone in Babylone, Amours des Feintes, Lolita Go Home and Rendez-vous. She won Female Artist of the Year in the 1992 Victoires de la Musique
Victoires de la Musique
Victoires de la musique , is an annual French award ceremony that recognizes the best musical artists of the year.- Male artist of the year :*1985 : Michel Jonasz*1986 : Jean-Jacques Goldman*1987 : Johnny Hallyday...
. She starred in two films directed by Jacques Doillon
Jacques Doillon
Jacques Doillon is a French film director. He has a habit of giving lead roles to inexperienced young actresses in his films on family life and women...
– as Anne in La fille prodigue (1981) and as Alma in La pirate (1984, nominated for a César Award). This work led to an invitation from Patrice Chéreau
Patrice Chéreau
Patrice Chéreau is a French opera and theatre director, filmmaker, actor, and producer.-Biography:Patrice Chéreau was born in Lézigné, Maine-et-Loire, and went to school in Paris. At a young age he became well-known to Parisian critics as director, actor, and stage manager of his high-school theatre...
to star on stage in La Fausse suivante
La Fausse Suivante
La Fausse Suivante, or Le Fourbe Puni is a play by French playwright Pierre de Marivaux written in 1724, and produced for the first time by the Comédie-Italienneon the July 8 1724 at the theatre of the Hôtel de Bourgogne....
by Marivaux at Nanterre
Nanterre
Nanterre is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located west of the center of Paris.Nanterre is the capital of the Hauts-de-Seine department as well as the seat of the Arrondissement of Nanterre....
. In 1980 she worked with director Herbert Vesely on Egon Schiele Exzess und Bestrafung
Egon Schiele Exzess und Bestrafung
Egon Schiele Exzess und Bestrafung, also known as Egon Schiele Excess and Punishment and Egon Schiele, enfer et passion is a 1980 film based on the life of the Austrian artist Egon Schiele. It stars Mathieu Carriere as Schiele with Jane Birkin as his artist muse Wally and Christine Kaufman as his...
, appearing as the mistress of Austrian artist Egon Schiele
Egon Schiele
Egon Schiele was an Austrian painter. A protégé of Gustav Klimt, Schiele was a major figurative painter of the early 20th century. His work is noted for its intensity, and the many self-portraits the artist produced...
, played by Mathieu Carrière
Mathieu Carrière
Mathieu Carrière is a German actor.Carrière grew up in Berlin and Lübeck; he attended the Jesuit boarding school Lycée Saint-François-Xavier in Vannes, France, a school which had previously been attended by the director of Carrière's first major film, Volker Schlöndorff. In 1969 Carrière moved to...
. Jacques Rivette
Jacques Rivette
Jacques Rivette is a French film director. His most well known films include Celine and Julie Go Boating, La Belle Noiseuse and the cult film Out 1....
collaborated with her in Love on the Ground (1983) and La Belle Noiseuse
La Belle Noiseuse
La Belle Noiseuse is a 1991 film directed by Jacques Rivette and starring Michel Piccoli, Jane Birkin, and Emmanuelle Béart. Its title means "The Beautiful Troublemaker"...
(1991, Nominated Césars best supporting actress). She appeared in Merchant Ivory
Merchant Ivory Productions
Merchant Ivory Productions is a film company founded in 1961 by producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory. Their films were for the most part produced by the former, directed by the latter, and scripted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, with the noted exception of a few films. The films were often...
's A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries
A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (film)
A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries is a French/U.S. film directed by James Ivory and written by James Ivory & Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. It stars Leelee Sobieski, Jesse Bradford, Kris Kristofferson, Barbara Hershey and Virginie Ledoyen...
(1998, also used her song "Di Doo Dah") and Merci Docteur Rey
Merci Docteur Rey
Merci Docteur Rey is a 2002 Merchant Ivory's gay comedy film directed by Andrew Litvack, starring Diane Wiest and Jane Birkin. Filmed in Paris.-Synopsis:...
(2002), while Le Divorce
Le Divorce
Le Divorce is a 2003 Merchant Ivory Productions' film directed by James Ivory and the screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and Ivory, based on Diane Johnson's bestselling novel.-Summary:...
s end title song featured her singing "L'Anamour", composed by Gainsbourg. In 2006, she played the title role
Electra
In Greek mythology, Electra was an Argive princess and daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra. She and her brother Orestes plotted revenge against their mother Clytemnestra and stepfather Aegisthus for the murder of their father Agamemnon...
in Elektra
Elektra (opera)
Elektra is a one-act opera by Richard Strauss, to a German-language libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, which he adapted from his 1903 drama Elektra. The opera was the first of many collaborations between Strauss and Hofmannsthal...
, directed by Philippe Calvario in France.
Birkin recorded the song "Beauty" on French producer Hector Zazou
Hector Zazou
Hector Zazou was a prolific French composer and record producer who worked with, produced, and collaborated with an international array of recording artists...
's 2003 album Strong Currents. The cover art of Have You Fed the Fish?
Have You Fed the Fish?
Have You Fed the Fish? is an album released by Badly Drawn Boy in 2002. The album's title originates from the question which Gough asks his daughter each day "to the point where it got to sound like one of those words you say too many times and it sounds silly."Also included with the album's...
by singer-songwriter Badly Drawn Boy
Badly Drawn Boy
Damon Gough is an English alternative music singer/songwriter. He was born on 2 October 1969, in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. He grew up in the Breightmet area of Bolton, Lancashire, England....
features her image. The album features her daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg is an Anglo-French actress and singer. After releasing an album with her father at the age of fifteen, more than twenty years passed before she released two albums as an adult to commercial and critical success...
on backing vocals.
Birkin bag
In 1981, HermèsHermès
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès is a French high fashion house established in 1837, today specializing in leather, lifestyle accessories, perfumery, luxury goods, and ready-to-wear...
chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas
Jean-Louis Dumas
Jean-Louis Dumas was a French businessman who served as the chairman of the Hermès group from 1978 until 2006. He also served as the company's artistic director. Dumas is credited with turning Hermès into a global luxury brand during his tenure as chairman.Dumas' family founded Hermès in 1837...
was seated next to Birkin on a flight from Paris to London. She had just placed her straw bag in the overhead compartment of her seat, but the contents fell to the ground, leaving her to scramble to replace the contents. Birkin explained to Dumas that it had been difficult to find a leather weekend bag she liked. In 1984, he created a black supple leather bag for her: the Birkin bag
Birkin Bag
The Birkin bag is a handmade purse by Hermès and named after actress and singer Jane Birkin. The bag is a symbol of wealth due to its high price and elusiveness to the public....
, based on an 1892 design. She used the bag for herself then later changed her mind. Nevertheless, the bag has since become an icon.
Affiliations
Birkin's humanitarian interests led her to work with Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
on immigrant welfare and AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
issues. She has visited Bosnia, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
and Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
.
Awards/honours
In 2001, Birkin was awarded the OBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. She has also been awarded the French Ordre National du Mérite
Ordre National du Mérite
The Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
.
Personal life
Birkin was married from 1965-68 to John BarryJohn Barry (composer)
John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
, the English composer who wrote the musical score to the James Bond movies
James Bond (film series)
The James Bond film series is a British series of motion pictures based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond , who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. Earlier films were based on Fleming's novels and short stories, followed later by films with original storylines...
. Their daughter, photographer Kate Barry, was born on 8 April 1967. The marriage ended in 1968.
She had a passionate and creative relationship with her mentor Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
, whom she met on the set of Slogan in 1968, a relationship that lasted 13 years.
They never married, despite rumours and misreporting to the contrary. In 1971 they had a daughter, the actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg is an Anglo-French actress and singer. After releasing an album with her father at the age of fifteen, more than twenty years passed before she released two albums as an adult to commercial and critical success...
. They separated in 1980.
On 4 September 1982 she gave birth to her third daughter, Lou Doillon
Lou Doillon
Lou Doillon is a French model and actress. Her father is director Jacques Doillon and her mother is British actress and singer Jane Birkin.-Biography:...
, from her relationship with the director Jacques Doillon
Jacques Doillon
Jacques Doillon is a French film director. He has a habit of giving lead roles to inexperienced young actresses in his films on family life and women...
They separated in the 1990s. The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
reported in 2007 that Doillon "could not compete with her grief for Gainsbourg" (who died in 1991), and that she had lived alone since their separation.
Discography
Studio albums (selected)- 1969 – Je t'aime... moi non plus with Serge GainsbourgSerge GainsbourgSerge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
- 1971 – Serge Gainsbourg – Histoire de Melody NelsonHistoire de Melody NelsonHistoire de Melody Nelson is a 1971 concept album by French songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. The Lolita-esque pseudo-autobiographical plot involves the middle-aged Gainsbourg unintentionally colliding his Rolls Royce Silver Ghost into teenage nymphet Melody Nelson's bicycle, and the subsequent...
- 1973 – Di doo dahDi doo dahDi doo dah is the first solo album by Jane Birkin, released in 1973 on Fontana Records. Subsequent reissues in 2001 and 2010 included 2 bonus tracks from the 1972 7" single La Décadanse by Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg....
- 1975 – Lolita go homeLolita go homeLolita Go Home is the name of an album by Jane Birkin, released in 1975. About half of the songs were written by Serge Gainsbourg and Philippe Labro...
- 1978 – Ex fan des sixtiesEx fan des sixtiesEx-fan des sixties is the name of an album by Jane Birkin. The album was released in 1978. All songs on the album are by Serge Gainsbourg.-Track listing:#Ex-fan des sixties #Apocalypstick #Exercice en forme de Z...
- 1983 – Baby alone in BabyloneBaby alone in BabyloneBaby alone in Babylone is the name of an album by Jane Birkin. The album was released in 1983 and was the first collaboration between Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg since their split.-Track listing:*Words and music by Serge Gainsbourg...
- 1987 – Lost song
- 1990 – Amours des feintesAmours des feintesAmours des feintes is the name of an album by Jane Birkin. The album was released in 1990 and was the last original album of songs written by Serge Gainsbourg-Track listing:All lyrics and musics by Serge Gainsbourg#Et quand bien même...
- 1996 – Versions Jane
- 1998 – Best Of
- 1999 – À La Légère
- 2004 – Rendez-Vous
- 2006 – Fictions
- 2008 – Enfants d'Hiver
Live albums
- 1987 – Jane Birkin au BataclanBataclan (theatre)The Bataclan is a "salle de spectacle" at 50 boulevard Voltaire in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. It was built in 1864 by the architect Charles Duval. Its name refers to Ba-Ta-Clan, an operetta by Offenbach...
- 1992 – Integral au Casino de Paris
- 1996 – Integral a l'Olympia
- 2002 – Arabesque
- 2009 – au palace (live)
Filmography
- The Knack …and How to Get It (1966) – Girl on Motorbike (uncredited)
- Blow UpBlowupBlowup is a 1966 film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, his first English-language film.It tells of a British photographer's accidental involvement with a murder, inspired by Julio Cortázar's short story, "Las babas del diablo" or "The Devil's Drool" , translated also as Blow-Up, and by the life...
(1966) – The Blonde - KaleidoscopeKaleidoscope (film)Kaleidoscope is a 1966 British crime film starring Warren Beatty and Susannah York. Though not credited as such, the film is an adaptation of Ian Fleming's novel Casino Royale, albeit with the James Bond character removed.-Plot:...
(1966) – Exquisite Thing - WonderwallWonderwall (film)Wonderwall is the title of a 1968 film by first-time director Joe Massot that starred Jack MacGowran, Jane Birkin, Richard Wattis, Irene Handl, and Iain Quarrier, and featured cameos by Anita Pallenberg and Dutch designers The Fool...
(1968) – Penny Lane - Slogan (1969) – Évelyne
- The Pleasure Pit (1969) – Jane
- La PiscineLa Piscine (film)La Piscine is a 1969 Italian-French film directed by Jacques Deray. It is set in a villa with a pool in August at the Côte d'Azur...
(1969) – Penelope - Trop petit mon ami (1970) – Christine Mars / Christine Devone
- Sex Power (1970) – Jane
- Alba pagana (1970) – Flora
- Cannabis (1970) – Jane Swenson
- 19 djevojaka i Mornar (1971) – Milja
- Romance of a Horsethief (1971) – Naomi
- Trop jolies pour être honnêtesTrop jolies pour être honnêtesTrop jolies pour être honnêtes , or 4 Souris pour un hold-up is a 1972 French film directed by Richard Balducci. In 1985 International Home Video Corp...
(1972) – Christine - Dark PlacesDark PlacesDark Places is a 1973 British horror film directed by Don Sharp and starring Christopher Lee, Joan Collins and Herbert Lom.-Plot:Dr. Mandeville and his wife Sarah try to locate two suitcases of money hidden on a large estate of one of his former patients by posing as a potential heir...
(1973) – Alta - Don Juan, ou Si Don Juan était une femme...Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a WomanDon Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman is a 1973 French-Italian drama film by Roger Vadim. It sees Vadim reunite with his leading lady and ex-wife Brigitte Bardot for their fifth film together...
(1973) – Clara - Seven Dead in the Cat's Eye (1973) – Corringa
- Projection privée (1973) – Kate/Hélène
- Le Mouton enragé (1974) – Marie-Paule
- Comment réussir quand on est con et pleurnichardComment réussir quand on est con et pleurnichardComment réussir quand on est con et pleurnichard is a French comedy film directed by Michel Audiard, released in 1974....
(1974) – Jane - Lucky Pierre (1974) – Jackie Logan
- Serious as PleasureSerious as Pleasure-Cast:* Jane Birkin - Ariane Berg* Richard Leduc - Bruno* Raymond Bussières - Le pêcheur * Georges Mansart - Patrice* Paul Demange - Le "spécialiste" des jeux de cartes* Hubert Deschamps - L'homme au restaurant* Marc Dudicourt - Le mercier...
(1975) – Ariane Berg - La Course à l'échalote (1975) – Janet
- Catherine & Co. (1975) – Catherine
- Bestial QuartetSept morts sur ordonnanceSept morts sur ordonnance is a 1975 French film directed by Jacques Rouffio and starring Michel Piccoli, Gérard Depardieu, Jane Birkin, Marina Vlady and Charles Vanel....
(1975) – Jane Berg - Burnt by a Scalding Passion (1976) – Virginia Vismara
- Je t'aime moi non plusJe t'aime... moi non plus (film)Je t'aime moi non plus is a 1976 feature film directed by Serge Gainsbourg, starring Jane Birkin, Hugues Quester and Joe Dallesandro, and featuring a cameo by Gérard Depardieu.- Plot introduction :...
(1976) – Johnny Jane - The Devil in the Heart (1976) – Linda
- Madame ClaudeMadame ClaudeFernande Grudet , also known as Madame Claude, is the most famous French procurer. In the 1960s she was the head of a French network of call girls who worked especially for dignitaries and civil servants.-Biography:...
(1977) – singer (theme song "Yesterday Yes a Day") - L'AnimalAnimal (1977 film)L'Animal is an action-comedy film directed by Claude Zidi and starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Raquel Welch-Plot:Mike is a stuntman who works with his girlfriend Jane . On their wedding day Mike and Jane are forced by producers to do a stunt for a film they are working on...
(1977) – The Female Star - Good-bye, Emmanuelle (1977) – as Singer (theme song)
- Death on the NileDeath on the Nile (1978 film)Death on the Nile is a 1978 film based on the Agatha Christie mystery novel Death on the Nile, directed by John Guillermin. The film features the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot played by Peter Ustinov plus an all-star cast. It takes place in Egypt, mostly on the Nile River...
(1978) – Louise Bourget - Au bout du bout du banc (1979) – Peggy
- Melancholy Baby (1979) – Olga
- La miel (1979) – Inés
- Egon Schiele Exzess und BestrafungEgon Schiele Exzess und BestrafungEgon Schiele Exzess und Bestrafung, also known as Egon Schiele Excess and Punishment and Egon Schiele, enfer et passion is a 1980 film based on the life of the Austrian artist Egon Schiele. It stars Mathieu Carriere as Schiele with Jane Birkin as his artist muse Wally and Christine Kaufman as his...
(1980) – Wally - The Prodigal Daughter (1981, by Jacques DoillonJacques DoillonJacques Doillon is a French film director. He has a habit of giving lead roles to inexperienced young actresses in his films on family life and women...
) – Anne - Rends-moi la clé ! (1981) – Catherine
- Evil Under the SunEvil Under the Sun (1982 film)Evil Under the Sun is a 1982 British mystery film based on the 1941 novel Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie.-Production:The screenplay was written by Anthony Shaffer and an uncredited Barry Sandler...
(1982) – Christine Redfern - Nestor Burma, Détective de choc (1982) – Hélène Chatelain
- Circulez, y'a rien à voir ! (1983, by Patrice LecontePatrice LecontePatrice Leconte is a French film director, actor, comic strip writer, and screenwriter.-Biography:...
) – Hélène Duvernet - L'Ami de Vincent (1983) – Marie-Pierre
- Le Garde du corps (1984) – Barbara Penning
- La Pirate (1984, by Jacques DoillonJacques DoillonJacques Doillon is a French film director. He has a habit of giving lead roles to inexperienced young actresses in his films on family life and women...
) – Alma - Love on the GroundLove on the GroundLove on the Ground is a 1984 French film directed by Jacques Rivette. The film stars Jane Birkin, Geraldine Chaplin, André Dussollier and Jean-Pierre Kalfon. It was released in France on 17 October 1984.-Plot:...
(1984, by Jacques RivetteJacques RivetteJacques Rivette is a French film director. His most well known films include Celine and Julie Go Boating, La Belle Noiseuse and the cult film Out 1....
) – Emily - Leave All Fair (1985) – Katherine MansfieldKatherine MansfieldKathleen Mansfield Beauchamp Murry was a prominent modernist writer of short fiction who was born and brought up in colonial New Zealand and wrote under the pen name of Katherine Mansfield. Mansfield left for Great Britain in 1908 where she encountered Modernist writers such as D.H. Lawrence and...
- DustDust (1985 film)Dust is a 1985 film directed by Marion Hänsel based on the J. M. Coetzee novel In the Heart of the Country. The film was shot in Spain and is a French-Belgian production....
(1985) – Magda - Beethoven's Nephew (1985) – Johanna
- La Femme de ma vie (1986) – Laura
- Kung-Fu master (1987, by Agnès VardaAgnès VardaAgnès Varda is a French film director and professor at the European Graduate School. Her movies, photographs, and art installations focus on documentary realism, feminist issues, and social commentary — with a distinct experimental style....
) – Mary–Jane - Jane B. par Agnès V. (1988, by Agnès VardaAgnès VardaAgnès Varda is a French film director and professor at the European Graduate School. Her movies, photographs, and art installations focus on documentary realism, feminist issues, and social commentary — with a distinct experimental style....
) – Calamity JaneCalamity JaneMartha Jane Cannary Burke , better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, and professional scout best known for her claim of being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok, but also for having gained fame fighting Native Americans...
/ Claude JadeClaude JadeClaude Marcelle Jorré, better known as Claude Jade , was a French actress, known for starring as Christine in François Truffaut's three films Stolen Kisses , Bed and Board and Love on the Run . Jade acted in theatre, film and television...
/ Jeanne d'ArcJoan of ArcSaint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the... - Soigne ta droiteSoigne ta droiteKeep Your Right Up is a 1987 film, written, directed by, and starring French Swiss filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard.Soigne ta droite is a phrase from boxing - a trainer's call to "keep your right up". The immediate reference is to Jacques Tati's first short film, Soigne ton gauche...
(1987) – La cigale - Comédie ! (1987, by Jacques DoillonJacques DoillonJacques Doillon is a French film director. He has a habit of giving lead roles to inexperienced young actresses in his films on family life and women...
) – Elle / also singer (theme song) - Daddy NostalgieDaddy NostalgiaDaddy Nostalgie is a 1990 French drama film directed by Bertrand Tavernier. It was entered into the 1990 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Dirk Bogarde - Daddy* Jane Birkin - Caroline* Odette Laure - Miche...
(1990) – Caroline / also singer (end title "These Foolish Things") - Contre l'oubli (1991, segment "Pour Maria Nonna Santa Clara, Philippine") – Director and narrator
- La Belle NoiseuseLa Belle NoiseuseLa Belle Noiseuse is a 1991 film directed by Jacques Rivette and starring Michel Piccoli, Jane Birkin, and Emmanuelle Béart. Its title means "The Beautiful Troublemaker"...
(1991) – Liz - La Belle Noiseuse: DivertimentoLa Belle NoiseuseLa Belle Noiseuse is a 1991 film directed by Jacques Rivette and starring Michel Piccoli, Jane Birkin, and Emmanuelle Béart. Its title means "The Beautiful Troublemaker"...
(1991) – Liz - Oh pardon ! Tu dormais... (1992, TV) – as Director and writer
- 3000 scénarios contre un virus (1994) – as Director (segment "Je t'aime, moi non plus")
- Les cent et une nuits (1995) – Celle qui dit radin
- Black for Remembrance (1995) – Caroline
- Between the Devil and the Deep Blue SeaBetween the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (film)Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a 1995 Belgian-French drama film directed by Marion Hänsel. It was entered into the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Stephen Rea - Nikos* Ling Chu - Li* Adrian Brine - Captain* Maka Kotto - African sailor...
(1995) – The Woman (voice) - On connaît la chansonOn connaît la chansonOn connaît la chanson is a 1997 French film. It was directed by Alain Resnais, and written by Agnès Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri. Jaoui and Bacri also starred in the film with Sabine Azéma, Lambert Wilson, André Dussollier and Pierre Arditi.- Plot :Odile , a business executive, is married to weak,...
(1997) – Jane (she sang her song "Quoi") - A Soldier's Daughter Never CriesA Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (film)A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries is a French/U.S. film directed by James Ivory and written by James Ivory & Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. It stars Leelee Sobieski, Jesse Bradford, Kris Kristofferson, Barbara Hershey and Virginie Ledoyen...
(1998) – Mrs. Fortescue - The Last SeptemberThe Last SeptemberThe Last September is a novel by the Anglo-Irish writer Elizabeth Bowen published in 1929, concerning life at the country mansion of Danielstown, Cork during the Irish War of Independence.-Plot summary:Preface...
(1999) – Francie Montmorency - This Is My Body (2001) – Louise Vernet
- A Hell of a Day (2001) – Jane
- Merci Docteur ReyMerci Docteur ReyMerci Docteur Rey is a 2002 Merchant Ivory's gay comedy film directed by Andrew Litvack, starring Diane Wiest and Jane Birkin. Filmed in Paris.-Synopsis:...
(2002) – Pénélope - The Very Merry Widows (2003) – Renée
- Le DivorceLe DivorceLe Divorce is a 2003 Merchant Ivory Productions' film directed by James Ivory and the screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and Ivory, based on Diane Johnson's bestselling novel.-Summary:...
(2003) – singer (end title "L'Anamour") - L'ex-femme de ma vie (2004) – singer (theme song "Parlez-moi d'amour")
- La tête de maman (2007)
- BoxesBoxes (film)Boxes is a 2007 French film and the directorial debut of Jane Birkin. Birkin also stars alongside Geraldine Chaplin and Michel Piccoli. The film is based on Birkin's own family life, chronicling three marriages and the three children she bore from these marriages. The title alludes to the way in...
(2007) - Anna (directorial debut) - 36 Views from the Pic Saint-Loup36 Views from the Pic Saint-Loup36 Views from the Pic Saint-Loup is a 2009 French-language drama film directed by Jacques Rivette. It was screened in the main competition at the 66th Venice International Film Festival.-Cast:* Jane Birkin as Kate* Sergio Castellitto as Vittorio...
(2009) – Kate - Thelma, Louise et Chantal (2010)
Source
External links
- Jane Birkin's Official site www.janebirkin.net
- Jane Birkin's Film "BOXES" www.boxes-lefilm.fr
- Yahoo Movies Bio
- [ Jane Birkin] at Allmusic
- A Tribute to Gainsbourg, zoom sur Jane Birkin
- Jane Birkin interview in madison Magazine
- Jane Birkin biography
- CNN interview with Jane Birkin
- Jane Birkin speaks with Flyglobalmusic.com and introduces songs from Enfants d'Hiver
- "Sweet Sixties" – "Slogan"-Review
- Jane Birkin, thepeerage.com
- Fashion Photo Gallery