Born 1939 as Maïtena Marie Brigitte Douménach in Soulac-sur-Mer, French actress and singer Marie Laforêt first notably appeared onscreen opposite actor Alain Delon in René Clément’s 1960 drama Plein Soleil. After this opportunities came to her rapidly. The original soundtrack of her second film, 1961’s Saint Tropez Blues, where she sang the title song accompanied by her childhood friend Jacques Higelin at the guitar was released in 1960. Her first musical hit was 1963’s Les Vendanges de l’Amour.
By the end of the 1960s, Laforêt had become a rather distinctive figure in the French pop scene. Her songs offered a more mature, poetic, tender alternative to the light, teenage yé-yé tunes charting in France at the time. Laforêt progressively lost interest in her singing career, moving to Geneva, Switzerland in 1978 where she opened an art gallery and abandoned music for the time being.
In the 1980s, Laforêt concentrated on her acting career, appearing in a few French and Italian films. Some music singles were eventually released, but were not popular. She made a comeback however in 1993 with her final album, for which she wrote the lyrics. In the 1990s she again continued to work as an actress both on screen and on stage. She performed in a number of plays in Paris over the years, acclaimed by audiences and critics alike. In September 2005, she sang once again, touring in France for the first time since 1972. Every concert sold out.
Laforêt resided in Geneva and obtained Swiss citizenship. She died in 2019 in Genolier, a small town in the Nyon district near Geneva, aged 80. Take a look at these beautiful photos to see portraits of young Marie Laforêt in the 1960s and 1970s.
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