by Marco Trujillo
SAINT-TROPEZ, France – People stood and applauded in the streets of Saint-Tropez on Wednesday as the coffin of French cinema icon Brigitte Bardot, who died last month at the age of 91, was carried from the Riviera resort following her funeral.
Bardot rose to international fame in the early 20s with the film “And God Created Woman,” her tousled hair and fierce energy radiating a sexual magnetism that enthralled 1950s France.
Affectionately known as Bibi to many in France, Bardot’s roles made her not only a sex symbol, but a pop culture icon and a touchstone for changing social attitudes. She became the first celebrity to model for the statue of Marianne, the traditional symbol of the French Republic that adorns the French town hall.
“For me, Brigitte Bardot is France,” said singer Mireille Mathieu, 79, who sang at the funeral. “She was the most beautiful woman in the world,” Matthews told reporters, “with the independence she had, the courage to say what she thought.”
At the funeral, in the city’s Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption church, a black-and-white photo of Bardot embracing a baby seal with the words “Merci Brigitte” was displayed near her coffin, which was covered mostly with orange and yellow flowers. Outside, a man held a sign that read: “The animals thank Brigitte Bardot”.
Animal rights activist, far right sympathizer
Bardot made the last of her 42 films in 1973. Disillusioned with the industry, he declared the world of cinema “rotten”.
She became a tireless crusader for animal rights, while her political sympathies shifted to the far-right National Front. He has been convicted several times of inciting racial hatred for his inflammatory comments on immigration, Islam and homosexuality.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen was among those attending Wednesday’s funeral. Bardot publicly supported the successive leaders of the National Front, Jeanne-Marie Le Pen and her daughter Marine, whom she once referred to as “the Joan of Arc of the 21st century”.
Macron’s equality minister and animal rights defender Aurore Berge was there to represent the government. Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson was among the guests at the funeral.
private funeral
After the funeral, Bardot would be buried in strict secrecy in a cemetery in the dazzling city, where she remained for the rest of her life, behind high walls, surrounded by a flock of cats, dogs and horses.
A tribute to locals and fans will be held at the end of the day in the Prix des Pechers area of ​​the old town, called La Ponche, the historic center of the former fishing village.
Bardot told Le Monde in 2018 that she wanted to be buried in a quiet corner of her garden. But War Prefecture said it never received any requests for a private burial, which would have required him to be buried in his garden.
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