Reel People: Marion Cottilard is Edith Piaf

The film is titled La Vie en Rose, La Môme, or the Passionate Life of Edith Piaf. This French film won the Golden Bear at this years Berlin Film Festival. It is directed by Olivier Dahan.

Born Édith Giovanna Gassion, December 1915 in Belleville, Paris, a district that was known for it's large number of immigrants. Edith was allegedly blind from the age of 3 to 7, and deaf 8 to 14. The legend is that Edith regained her sight after her grandmother's prostitutes got together enough money to send her on a pilgrimage honoring Saint Thérèse de Lisieux. At the age of 14 she joined her father's street acrobat team. At the age of 16 she left her father, and had a child that died.

In 1935, At the age of 19, Edith began singing at a nightclub as well as having her first record producted. Only four feet-eight inches, later began singing at a night club where she was named La Môme Piaf (little sparrow kid).

Edith's popularity only grew, especially as she performed during WWII. Following the War she continued to cut more records while touring Europe and the Americas. Edith's popularity was broad, even in America, as she appeared on the Ed Sullivan show 8 times.

Below is a clip of Eidth Piaf singling her famous "La Vie en Rose" in 1954.

Even before stardome her love life was complicated, and over the course of her life she had many lovers and spouses.

In 1963, Edith died of cancer. Buried in Paris, Edith was denied a proper funeral by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Paris because of her lifestyle.

The film La Môme has already received significant praise and covers the life of Edith Piaf for birth to death.

Will this biographical film earn some critical awards attention this year for Marion Cottilard's portrayal of this Real (Reel) Person?

Related Tags: Edith Piaf, France, Marion Cottilard, Award Buzz, Bio Pic, Film, Music, Ed Sullivan Show, La Vie En Rose, La Mome, Paris, Foreign Language Film