Marion Cotillard that born on September 30, 1975, is a French actress, singer, songwriter, musician, environmental activist and Greenpeace spokesperson. She achieved international fame in her performance as French singer Edith Piaf in the biopic La Vie en Rose.
She is a recipient of Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, Golden Globe Awards, two César Awards, European Awards, and the Lumières Award. Many Batman fans will remember themselves as unexpected criminals who stabbed Batman in the 2012 film “The Dark Knight Rises.”
But she is more than just an Academy Award-winning artist and is an inspiration to many filmmakers. She is also an activist and spokesman for Greenpeace. For example, in 2013, Cotillard protested and demanded the release of 30 Greenpeace members imprisoned in Russia.
Advocacy to combat climate change brought it as part of a delegation of French President Francois Hollande. The actress and environmental activist said she immediately agreed to an invitation to come to the Philippines. She wanted to raise awareness about climate and other environmental issues.
Marion Cotillard and a love for the environment since childhood
Cotillard said her awareness to protect and preserve the environment began when she was little. Parents and grandparents teach her to respect where she lives. At the age of 16, Cotillard moved to Paris permanently and began to care more about the environment because she wanted to make a difference.
In 2010 Cotillard starred in a film called “Rust and Bone” where she acted like an animal coach. Even though she liked the story, she had a hard time playing the film because she was against animals that were put in a cage.
At one point, she felt that what she did for the environment could be considered by some as useless. But as an artist, her motivation to help comes from a perspective that she wants to do something that is bigger than herself.
She said that she was an actress and an artist and she was fascinated by humanity as well as the planet so she had to share and do something about it.
Marion Cotillard and Visit to the Philippines
Her visit to the Philippines was mainly focused on addressing the problem of global warming and climate change. She said the most important part of her trip was attending a climate change forum with local government officials and visiting Guian, Samar, one of the areas affected by the devastating typhoon Yolanda.
Cotillard went straight to the Philippines after typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) destroyed Leyte and Samar. The French actress described the effects of the devastating typhoon as a tangible result of global warming occurring in the world.
After seeing Yolanda’s effect, Cotillard urged Filipinos to realize that the country is more vulnerable to the extreme effects of climate change than other countries in the world.
“This can be a disaster for you if you don’t do anything,” she explained to the locals. She also said she admired the strength of the Philippine spirit and that the Philippines and France must work together to fight climate change.
She felt very proud of the Philippines because she wanted to make a difference and did not consider themselves as victims even though they were victims of climate change.
When asked how Filipinos can help to save the environment, she said that the way we consume something gives us the power to decide. According to Marion Cotillard, we all must realize the impact of the way we consume and what we buy and where it comes from, how it is made and by whom.
