NEW DELHI: French acting great Isabelle Huppert, recipient of this year's Honorary Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, will not attend the gala in person as she tested positive for COVID-19, the festival has announced.
The Homage of the Berlinale 2022 is dedicated to Huppert, who is also the recipient of the Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement.
The 68-year-old actor, who has featured in the Berlinale Competition seven times, tested positive for the coronavirus in Paris on Monday.
"Considering that Isabelle Huppert is not feeling sick and she is willing to support the festival we have decided to go on with the award ceremony. As she cannot come, we will send our love and admiration to her home in Paris. We look forward to having her in Berlin another time," said Berlinale directors Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian in a statement shared on the festival's official website.
The award ceremony of the Honorary Golden Bear will take place today in the evening at the Berlinale Palast as planned.
Huppert will tune in live from Paris to assist the ceremony and to speak to her audience.
Her film "A propos de Joan (About Joan)", directed by Laurent Lariviere, will be screened as a Berlinale Special Gala afterwards.
'Berlinale Homage: In Conversation with Isabelle Huppert', an event planned with the actor at Berlinale Talents, has been cancelled.