Nicole Garcia - Festival des Mots

Biography Nicole Garcia is an actress, director, and screenwriter. A first-prize winner at the Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique, she began her career in the 1970s, working in both theater and film. As a director, she has distinguished herself with several acclaimed films, often exploring themes related to psychology and human relationships. Among her notable works are *Un Week-end sur deux*, *Place Vendôme*, and *Amants*. She has received numerous awards and honors throughout her career, reflecting her significant contribution to French cinema in films such as *Les Uns et les autres* by Claude Lelouch, *Garçon!* by Claude Sautet, and, more recently, *L’Origine du monde* by Laurent Lafitte. Her next film as a director, *Milo*, is scheduled for release in 2026. Reading of “Letter from an Unknown Woman” by Stefan Zweig “It was from that very moment that I loved you. I know that women have often said that word to you, their spoiled child. But believe me, no one has loved you as deeply—like a slave, like a dog—with as much devotion as that person I was then and have remained for you. Nothing on earth resembles the unnoticed love of a child withdrawn into the shadows; this love is so selfless, so humble, so submissive, so attentive, and so passionate that it can never be matched by the love—born of desire and, despite everything, demanding—of a fulfilled woman.” In *Letter from an Unknown Woman*, Stefan Zweig takes the analysis of romantic love and its ravages even further, offering us a heart-wrenching cry of profound humanity. Here there is no confusion of feelings: the passion is absolute.