The world of cinema and a crowd of ordinary people paid a final tribute to actress Nathalie Baye in Paris on Friday, during a ceremony marked by the poignant speech of her daughter Laura Smet, for a "fabulous mother".

"My mother was a genuine, tender, fair, and strong person. She always took care of others more than herself," said the 42-year-old actress, whose father was the singer Johnny Hallyday, her voice breaking with emotion.

"She gave me so much love, so much strength. She picked me up when I was down, me and many others. She was an incredible friend, an eternal lover and a fabulous mother," continued Laura Smet.

The white coffin of the actress who died on April 17 at the age of 77 arrived mid-morning at the Saint-Sulpice church, in the heart of the 6th arrondissement, where she lived.

In the nave, the body was received by the voice of actress Valérie Lemercier, beginning "Mon amie la rose", accompanied by a guitarist.

In the church, some 400 guests including Brigitte Macron and big names from the cinema: Catherine Deneuve, Roschdy Zem, Francis Huster, Josiane Balasko, André Dussollier, Clovis Cornillac or Guillaume Canet... A little over a hundred anonymous people were also able to take their seats.

Sylvie Vartan, who had also shared her life with "Johnny", and her son David Hallyday were among the first to arrive.

On the cover of the mass booklet, a photo of the actress, smiling and elegant, sitting on the steps of a staircase. Inside, another image, showing her, still smiling, nose to nose with Laura Smet, then a toddler.

As it was taken out, the coffin was applauded again, according to the tradition reserved for artists, under a beautiful midday sun.

Nathalie Baye died of Lewy body disease, a neurodegenerative condition that manifests itself through a combination of disorders similar to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Born on July 6, 1948, she had managed to break away from her classic image to give free rein to her imagination and build an impressive filmography with around a hundred feature films.

From François Truffaut ("Day for Night"...) to Xavier Dolan ("It's Only the End of the World") via Bertrand Blier ("Our Story"), Tonie Marshall ("Venus Beauty") and Claude Chabrol ("The Flower of Evil").

She has been awarded multiple César Awards (twice for a leading role, twice for a supporting role), notably winning the statuette three years in a row from 1981 to 1983, and again in 2006 for "Le petit lieutenant".

The actress also had a brief stint in Hollywood, playing Leonardo DiCaprio's mother in Steven Spielberg's "Catch Me If You Can." She will be buried in a private ceremony in the coming days.

AFP