Cork enjoys French connection as Mathieu Amalric returns to Leeside

Mathieu Amalric once spent time in Cork nursing a broken heart, but now the star is back on Leeside to present his new film writes Marjorie Brennan

MATHIEU Amalric has a face that makes you wonder what you’ve seen him in. He has featured in a dizzying range of big-screen roles, from blockbusters to Oscar-nominated arthouse films and prestigious television drama.Yet he is most comfortable behind the camera.

“I’m not an actor,” says the 49-year-old. “I’ve done lots of jobs in movies — editing, food, assistant, all the jobs, to do my films. That’s what I do, and acting I do only when it’s irresistible.”