Vahina Giocante

Vahina Giocante (born 30 June 1981) is a French actress.

Movie roles

As Marie in Marie Baie des Anges (1998), she is among a group of young wanderers who become enmeshed in love, hate, and violence on the French Riviera. Manuel Pradal directs the film imaginatively but the story and characters are not very memorable.¹ The title of the movie is taken from a French legend which tells of angel sharks that feasted on the bodies of invaders who were shipwrecked in the bay of angels, near Nice, France. In Pradal's film the rocks and waters around them are a metaphor for the violent sexual rites of teenagers. Giocante's character, who is 15, eschews the indigent local boys to keep keep company with a group of conceited American sailors who take her to nightclubs and hotels. After they are finished with her they dump her in a brutal fashion, calling her a Gypsy whore. Afterward she enjoys a brief interlude with a petty criminal played by Frédéric Malgras.²

In Lila Says (2005) Giocante portrays a lovely blonde teenager who resides with her aunt in a rough neighborhood in Marseilles. A New York Times reviewer compares her to Brigitte Bardot in And God Created Woman, being a femme more vitale than fatale. The movie is directed by the Lebanese-French filmmaker, Ziad Doueiri. He obtained his education in America. Much of the drama of the motion picture concerns the uncertainties of Lila's character. There are questions of whether she possesses self control and is cognizant of her effect on the young men around her, and if she will do as she says she will. The narration is voice over by Chimo, who is played by Mohammed Kouas. He is a 19-year-old who lives with his mother and gets involved in trouble with his friends. His character is a microcosm of the many unemployed immigrant and second generation French youths who populate the poorer quarters of French cities and suburbs.³

The film is erotic, particularly a sexual encounter between Chimo and Lila on a motorbike. Intriguing for viewers is the disclosure of Lila's lack of comprehension of elements of the world around her. When Chimo finds her scrapbook, he sees pictures pasted from amateur porn sites on the internet. Much of it is adult in content, subject matter which Lila was not prepared to understand when she was working with the material.⁴

Critic A.O. Scott says that Giocante's combination of innocence and womanly awareness is somewhat overwhelming. However, her charisma and Doueiri's style lend Lila Says an earthiness and romantic quality. The motion picture was adapted from a 1996 novel whose authorship is uncertain. Doueiri directed West Beirut previously and served as a camera operator for Quentin Tarantino for many years.³

Personal life

Born in Orléans, France, she went to school at the Lycée Paul-Cézanne in Aix-en-Provence and previously danced with the Marseille Opera. According to Vahina, her name means "Welcome" in Malagasy. She is dating famous designer Ora-Ïto.

References

1. ^ The Monitor Movie Guide, Christian Science Monitor, June 19, 1998, pg. B.2
2. ^ Wild, Brutal Adolescents As Angels Among Sharks, New York Times, June 19, 1998, pg. E.1:13.
3. ^ ^{a b} Teenage Coquetry and Seduction, Across A Deep Divide, New York Times, June 24, 2005, pg. E.1:22.
4. ^ Taking a More Sophisticated Look At a Complex Subject, New York Times, July 6, 2005, pg. E.1.

Selected filmography

• 99 Francs (2007) — (Sophie)
• U (2006) — (voice)
• Riviera (2005) — Stella
• Nuit noire, 17 octobre 1961 (2005) (TV) — Marie-Hélène
• Lila dit ça ("Lila Says") (2004) — Lila
• Cadeau d'Éléna, Le ("Elena's Gift") (2004) — Marie
• Maigret: Les petits cochons sans queue (2004) (TV) — Germaine Leblanc
• Blueberry: L'expérience secrète ("Renegade") (2004) — Madeleine
• Intermittenze del cuore, Le (2003) — Fiametta da giovane
• Soldats de Salamine ("Soldiers of Salamina") (2003) — assistante sociale à Dijon
• Vivante ("Alive") (2002) — Claire
• "Algérie des chimères, L'" (2001) (mini) TV Series — Jeanne 20 ans
• Bella ciao (2001) — Bianca
• Fantômes de Louba, Les (2001) — Jeannie as a teenager
• Libertin, Le ("The Libertine") (2000) — Angélique Diderot
• Pas de scandale ("Keep It Quiet" / "No Scandal") (1999) — Stéphanie
• Voleur de vie ("Stolen Life") (1998) — Sigga
• Marie Baie des Anges ("Angel Sharks" / "Marie from the Bay of Angels") (1997) — Marie

External links

• Unofficial site on Vahina Giocante (in French)

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