Fanny Ardant's dream brings a love story to Russia's stage

MOSCOW, May 8 (Itar-Tass) - French actress Fanny Ardant has realised her long-held dream of taking a lead role on the Russian stage. She appears on May 18 at Moscow International House of Music in "The Ship Night", based on a play by famous French writer Marguerite Duras, and in which her soulful monologues deliver to a cello played by French musician Sonia Wieder-Atherton, organisers told Itar-Tass on Thursday. The performance has reached international audiences already in Belgium and Greece, and will be staged in French, to Russian subtitles. On previous visit to Russia, Ardant told Itar-Tass about her wish to perform, in Moscow, this story of a man and a woman who have talked together by telephone for years, and have never seen each other. The actress has already performed in Russia, roled as Jeanne d'Arc in an oratorio by director Kirill Serebrennikov at the International House of Music. This time, Ardant will also present her second work as a director, the film "Obsessive Rhythms", on May 13, almost a month before its official release on June 5. Her new film tells the story of Margo, giving up a brilliant musical career for the sake of her relationship with Furio and trying to preserve what is left of their love. Lead roles are played by Asia Argento (of "Queen Margot", "Marie Antoinette"), Franco Nero (of "Django Unchained", "Letters to Juliet") and Ardant’s old friend, Gérard Depardieu. Ardant, whom viewers know from "Eight Women", "Maria Callas", "Beyond the Clouds" and "Natalie", has worked with talented directors Alain Resnais, Francois Truffaut, Michelangelo Antonioni, Franco Zeffirelli, Patrice Leconte and Francois Ozon. She has made many trips to Russia, notably as an honorary guest of Moscow International Film Festival, and will head the jury at the Andrey Tarkovsky International Film Festival Zerkalo (“The Mirror”) in June. Learn more on itar-tass.com