French actress and director Françoise Lebrun is an emblematic figure of auteur cinema. Her career is inextricably linked to the role of Veronika in Jean Eustache's cult film *La maman et la putain* (1973), a performance that established her as an icon of post-'68 French cinema. Over a career spanning more than fifty years, she has collaborated with numerous prominent filmmakers, including André Téchiné, Paul Vecchiali, Arnaud Desplechin, and Guillaume Nicloux. Also active in theater and television, she has concurrently developed a career as a director. Later in life, her career experienced a significant resurgence thanks to her intense performance in Gaspar Noé's film *Vortex* (2021). For this role, she received major accolades, winning the Lumière Award for Best Actress and earning a nomination for the César Award in the same category.