Brigitte Bardot Breaks Her Silence in Revealing New Doc ‘Bardot’, First Trailer Drops from Cannes

Brigitte Bardot may be speaking on camera in a new documentary about her life, but director Alain Berliner says she’s still as mysterious as ever.

The new doc, simply titled Bardot, was shown recently at the Cannes Film Festival. It looks at Bardot’s rise to worldwide fame, her sudden retirement in the early 1970s, and her passion for animal rights.

Alain Berliner, known for Ma Vie en Rose, directed the film and told Variety that he wanted Bardot to tell her own story. “Not having an outside narrator, but have Brigitte Bardot be the one who tells the story,” he said.

Now 90 years old, Bardot still lives in her quiet home by the sea in Saint-Tropez. She let the camera into her private world, opening the doors of her estate where she lives surrounded by animals, dogs, donkeys, geese, and horses.

While she speaks openly about her love for animals, she also opens up for the first time about her only son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier. He was mostly raised by his father after Bardot stepped away from parenting early on.

The film begins with a clip of a young Bardot, just 22, being interviewed. When asked whether she wanted to keep doing sexy films or become a “serious actress,” she replied, “I will be a serious actress when I’m older.”

Bardot was born in Paris in 1934 into a wealthy but strict family. She didn’t enjoy her childhood and got married at 18 to filmmaker Roger Vadim. He would go on to direct her in And God Created Woman, the 1956 film that made her famous around the world. Berliner says, “She helped Vadim become Vadim and he helped her become BB.”

Elora Thevenet, who helped write and produce the film, said Bardot was financially supporting Vadim in the early days, which was rare for a woman from her background. “Bardot was the one paying the bills,” Thevenet noted.

Over time, Bardot became more than just a movie star. French writer Simone de Beauvoir wrote about her in a 1959 essay, calling her a “locomotive of women’s history.” She described Bardot as the most liberated woman in post-war France.

But Bardot has made it clear that she does not see herself as a feminist. In fact, she’s spoken out against the #MeToo movement. In a recent interview, Bardot defended actor Gérard Depardieu after he was found guilty of sexual assault. Depardieu has denied the accusations. Bardot’s views reflect those of some other older French actresses like Fanny Ardant and Catherine Deneuve.

Berliner says this shows how complex Bardot is. “She insists very much that she likes men, and she’s not against them,” he said. “She does not want to be considered a feminist, even though she has lived like one. And I think that’s proof of the fact that Bardot is a free-thinker.”

Before walking away from fame in 1973, Bardot had made 47 films, recorded over 60 songs, and performed in musicals. The documentary features commentary from designer Stella McCartney, model Naomi Campbell, artist Marina Abramović, and Bardot’s husband Bernard d’Ormale. D’Ormale is a known supporter of the far-right political party Front National in France.

The film Bardot is being sold globally by Fremantle, and while Bardot may reveal more of herself than ever before, Berliner still sees her as someone who can’t fully be understood.

“She remains a very mysterious person,” he said.

Bardot’s life shows how fame can be both powerful and exhausting. It’s interesting how she became a symbol of freedom but still wants to stay away from labels like “feminist.” The new documentary might not answer every question about her, but it does offer a closer look at someone who helped shape modern pop culture. What do you think about Bardot opening up after all these years? Let us know in the comments below.