Ladies and Gentlemen, here comes a woman I admire since I've been going to the cinema. One of the most beautiful ladies in international film business, one of the most attractive stars from France - good evening: Catherine Deneuve!

(Deneuve enters the stage)

Nice to have you here, despite the strike.
(Remark of the author: at that time the great general strike of the French unions took place in Paris).
You couldn't fly, you've had to go by car. How long did it take to get here?
Much more than they've told me before - I've taken four and a half hours.

Really? Did you make a pause, somewhere in a road house?
With the car, yes.

Didn't leave the car?
No, not really.

... And how's it been in Paris? Our colleague Bettina, who has picked you up, was totally fascinated. You didn't start immediately, you were strolling just a bit before, have eaten Crepe?
Well, there is no private life anymore, even when I'm in Paris! Look, I knew that we had to go away in a few hours and that the show is late. I didn't have lunch and that's why we've eaten some Crepe before we've started, that's true.

Did you have something to drink?
Beer, yes.

Beer? No red wine?
No.

That's the cliche we have here: the French drink red wine and smoke all the time.
(the audience laughs out loud)
True. But we also see the Germans only drinking beer and eating hot dogs. I've seen Germans eating truffle!
(stormy applause)

The biggest problem for us German tourists, when we... we like it to take a trip to the Cote d'Azur with no stops - 16 hours - open the windows to get fresh air, or Bretagne or Normandie, and the most difficult thing for us is the Boulevard Peripherique, that circle around Paris with different exits. Do you drive yourself a car in Paris?
Very difficult. It happened that I didn't get to the airport and missed the flight. I had to turn around a second time. Yes, that's true, I didn't find the airport. It happened to me twice that I've missed the flight. It's really difficult to live in Paris, especially now, in these days.

... Because of the strike. How much does it bother you?
I live in St. Germain des Pres, near the police station by the way - I always see the police cars start from there. It's really hard. I was amazed by the solidarity of the French, the Parisian towards other Parisians. I think, the Parisians are usually very egoistic -

Yes?
(laughter and applause)
... terribly egoistic and now I was very amazed. I've seen a real solidarity: the drivers picked up people, that wasn't a problem at all. That was really the most positive thing of the strike.... And then it will finally end within the next 48 hours.

And would you say they will keep this kindness or will everything turn back to a situation like before when the strike is over?
Well, I think that people who work in large companies, who didn't know each other before and who went out for work together now, those people have come to know each other much better. Have spent probably more time together than in the years before. So I think that there will be friendships, maybe they will become engaged or will even get married!

Get married?!
People have come to know each other! ... Are you afraid of?

Mmmh ... that the others marry, or me?
No, I've said that they probably will marry.

Well, I'm surprised about that. You've been married one time?
Yes. And you?

No, never.
Is it true? Then I'm sorry for you (smiles)

Really? Yes? (laughs) Do you think a young man like me, in my early thirties ... late thirties, shoud dare the "adventure marriage"?
Well, it is no risk to get married. Actually it is something very romantic. But, does everyone as ???

(looks at Schmidt a little bit compassionately)

Are you a romantic person?
Yes, absolutely! You look very surprised? I feel a bit offended now!

Yes! You've got the image of the severe, cool French blonde, the...
Severe?!? Cold?!? (looks at Schmidt totally terrified)

No, not cold. "Cool". Cool, not cold! A big difference! That is a big difference!
Well, maybe I'm a bit reserved, yes, but I'm very affectionate to the people I like!

You've got two children?
Yes.

But you were never married to the fathers.
No ...?!

And there have been no problems, it worked properly, or...
And you? (laughs) No, joke. I... (turns to the audience that applauds loudly)... it is actually no real decision, it just came off that way. I might have been married to the father of my son, but it didn't happen. I didn't want to marry him just because I was pregnant. We've separated and ... well, that's life. The father of my daughter was married and so I couldn't marry him (murmuring through the audience), so far I would not say that it is always necessary to marry. He was married but lived separated from his wife. Somehow I thought that it wasn't that important to marry. The daughter got his name and only that was important to me. I'm not so terribly formalistic.

Probably nobody believes that. What kind of situation it has been when you threw spaghetti pots at Marcello Mastroianni?
(audience laughs restrained)
That has never happened to me, somebody must have invented that! I am high in words, but that's not me. Actually I'm very controlled.

It was just written in the press without being true?
It's not the press that releases such things, but of course you can say it was written the press, in certain papers. But it is no real press that writes that.

How is it when a big star like you walks around in Paris, goes eating Crepe or goes shopping, do the people accost you?
Very often, yes. Of course people don't fall on my neck, they detect me, sometimes they accost me, want to shake hands with me. They are glad about recognizing me, saying: "Oh, I've made you out!". The people are happy and proud when they recognize somebody, they're very nice and affectionate, not aggressive at all, even the women.

No? - Do you think that some men are afraid of you?
Sure, but there are men being afraid of all women, and so of me, too.

Of women in general?
Yes, there are men just being afraid of women, true. They like women but they're also a little bit afraid of them.

Can you imagine of some reasons, why?
There are women being very excessive, impetuous, some might be very possessive demanding too much from a single man. Other women are very hard to please, they desire very much from the man and he is somehow afraid.

(looking very suffering) Yeah, that's true...
(audience laughs, applauds)
Maybe it also happens to you! (laughs)

Do you have some time off now or are you preparing for a new project, a new film?
No. I'm going to dub a film that I've made with André Téchiné recently, its name is "Child of the night" ["Thieves"] also starring Daniel Auteuil. We've already made a film with him two years ago.

Will you stay here tonight in Cologne or do you have to go back to Paris, now, in the night, by car?
Oh no, not immediately, that wouldn't be very reasonable. I will sleep a little bit and tomorrow morning I'll go back.

It's been very kind of you that you took upon all the long way to get here; four and a half hours - you were lying, we said it would be just two hours. Actually, if the driver would speed up the gas, it would have been two hours, but there are always those "peage", those places where the duty has to be paid, where the driver has to stop.
Look, it took less time to get to Cologne than yesterday in Paris to get from one place to another. Everything is relative. (smiles)

Thank you very much, have a nice time here in Cologne and good luck! (to the audience) Catherine
Deneuve! Merci beaucoup!
Merci.

(leaves the stage)