Meet France’s New Wave of Young Starlets Taking Over the Screen
The current vanguard of talented French It girls are gracing our screens — soon to be seen in a variety of high-profile releases.
Photography by Pauline Bajzak
Styled by Vanessa Bellugeon
French cinema has been a significant presence in the film industry for decades. From the iconic works of the New Wave movement to today's more poignant narratives, French films speak to an international audience. And like Brigitte Bardot and Jean Seberg in the '60s, the young actresses in these projects are quickly rising to the stature of It girls for the next generation.
Kauda Pharaon
Kauda Pharaon was inspired to join the world of cinema by her mother, a casting director. Pharaon began to write, direct, and eventually release the award-winning short horror film Delirium Fantasy, which is currently making the rounds at several festivals. Stepping in front of the camera, Pharaon also appeared in Rachid Hami’s latest drama, Pour la France, which was released this past February.
Carmen Kassovitz
For Carmen Kassovitz, cinema is not a profession, but a destiny. The daughter of French actor Mathieu Kassovitz, the 21-year-old began appearing first in shorts, and then in Antoinette Boulat’s 2021 film My Night and in the major French thriller series Stalk. In 2022, Kassovitz acted alongside acclaimed French actors Mélanie Laurent and Pio Marmaï in Tempête, and starred in Helsinki-based director Aino Suni’s coming-of-age film Heartbeast.
Nina Mélo
Nina Mélo has come a long way since her breakout role in Olivier Delahaye’s 2013 historical film, Soleils. The ADAMI award–winning actor’s body of work now includes a diverse array of French favorites, including Heartbreaker, a romantic comedy by Pascal Chaumiel; Girlhood, a coming-of-age drama by Céline Sciamma; Orpheline, a drama by Arnaud des Pallières; and Nina, a hit network TV series.
Nina Zem
The daughter of French actor Roschdy Zem, Nina Zem first appeared on the big screen in Our Ties, a 2022 feature film directed by her father and inspired by their own family’s story. The model-slash-actor, who has walked in shows for Nina Ricci and Marine Serre, is also a ceramicist, creating organically shaped vessels. Zem has recently launched a collection of ceramic candlestick holders with Eska Paris.
Megan Northam
Jack-of-all-trades Megan Northam counts singing, dancing, music — she trained for a decade on the cello at the Nantes Conservatory — and acting among her many talents. Northam’s breakout role came in 2021 alongside Golden Globe-winning actor Gérard Depardieu in the French comedy Robust. She has been consistently busy since, soon landing a role in the Netflix series Notre-Dame, in addition to the French drama film The Passengers of the Night alongside Charlotte Gainsbourg. This year, the French actress stars in Cédric Klapisch’s Amazon Prime series, Greek Salad, and will be seen in three upcoming feature films: Fifi, Meanwhile on Earth, and Rabia.
HAIR Charlotte Dubreuil
MAKEUP Clotilde Puvis de Chavannes
PHOTO ASSISTANT Robin Jeant
STYLIST ASSISTANT Shana Luque
LOCATION Henry Jacques Perfumes on Avenue Montaigne