Claudia Cardinale, born April 15, 1938 in Tunis, died at the age of 86, leaving behind an unparalleled cinematic legacy and a lasting imprint on the hearts of her admirers around the world. The daughter of Sicilian immigrants, she grew up in the cosmopolitan district of La Goulette, a place where Arab, Jewish and European cultures mixed, forging her unique Mediterranean identity. His first memories are marked by the colorful streets, the lively markets and the Mediterranean Sea which bathed his hometown, all elements which would later nourish his sense of aesthetics and his artistic sensitivity.
Her first contact with the seventh art came in 1956, when she participated with her classmates in the short film by French director René Vautier, The Golden Ringson the theme of the economic and social independence of Tunisia. The film was presented at the 1958 Berlinale, where it won the Silver Bear. Her single close-up in the role of a little Arab girl was enough to make her known locally and attract the attention of Jacques Baratier, who offered him a role alongside Omar Sharif in Goha, a Franco-Tunisian co-production. Goha was presented in the official selection at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival, where he received the “Le Premier Regard – Un Certain Regard” prize tied with Visages de bronze by Bernard Taisant. Claudia will return to Cannes in 2013 with this same restored film, presented in the Cannes Classics section, testifying to the timeless nature of her debut.
In 1957, a year after Tunisia’s independence, Claudia was voted “the most beautiful Italian in Tunisia”. This title earned her a trip to the Venice Film Festival, where she discovered the excitement of international cinema. This trip marked a decisive turning point in her life: she met Franco Cristaldi, future mentor and husband, who immediately recognized her potential and helped her obtain her first contracts in Italy. These early opportunities paved the way for an exceptional international career, propelling Claudia to the sets of Rome, Paris, Los Angeles and beyond.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Claudia Cardinale became one of the most iconic European actresses. His collaboration with Luchino Visconti in The Cheetah (1963), where she played Concetta, earned her immediate recognition for her ability to embody the rapidly changing Italian nobility. Federico Fellini integrates it into 8½ (1963), and she contributes with her natural elegance to the director’s surrealist universe. Her role as Jill McBain in the spaghetti western Once upon a time in the West (1968) by Sergio Leone becomes legendary, oscillating between fragility and inner strength, while his collaboration with Jean-Luc Godard (A woman is a woman1961) and Michelangelo Antonioni (The red desert1964) shows his ability to carry deeply introspective and psychologically complex roles. She also works with Pier Paolo Pasolini in Theorem (1968), where his magnetic presence disrupts the narrative and leaves a lasting imprint on European cinema. These films brought him multiple distinctions and the establishment as an essential figure in world cinema.
After the 1970s, Claudia Cardinale continued to expand her filmography, exploring new genres and collaborating with emerging directors. She participates in Italian, French and American productions, where she plays independent, complex and nuanced female characters. His participation in Once Upon a Time in America (1984) by Sergio Leone demonstrates his commitment to remaining at the heart of ambitious projects, while always paying particular attention to the psychological depth of his roles. Each new film is an opportunity for her to show a different side of her talent, ranging from light comedy to intense drama, without ever losing her singularity and natural elegance.
His link with Tunisia remained central throughout his life. She regularly returns to the places of her childhood and participates in emblematic films of Tunisian cinema, notably A summer at La Goulette by Ferid Boughdir, which pays homage to the multicultural life of his hometown and the traditions of the local community. She also plays in The Wire by Mehdi Ben Attia in 2009, a contemporary film which deals with social and emotional tensions in Tunisia, and in The Island of Forgiveness by Ridha Béhi in 2022, confirming his unwavering attachment to his native country and to the promotion of Tunisian cinema on the international scene. By a curious fate, his first film shot in Tunisia, The Golden Ringsand his last, The Island of Forgivenessframe his career and testify to his unwavering link with his native country and Tunisian cinema.
Claudia Cardinale also shares her love for Tunisia through her book My Tunisiain which she recalls her childhood memories in La Goulette and Tunis, her walks on the beaches of Carthage, her visits to the picturesque streets of Sidi Bou Saïd and her discoveries in the bustling markets. This intimate story reveals an artist deeply attached to her roots, aware of the cultural and historical richness of her country. In May 2022, the municipality of La Goulette inaugurated a street in his name, a symbolic tribute celebrating his career and his attachment to his hometown. His giant portrait also appears on a wall in his town, a visual testimony to his influence and the admiration locals have for him.
Beyond cinema, Claudia Cardinale has distinguished herself through her social and humanitarian commitment. Defender of women’s rights and attentive to humanitarian causes, she was able to use her notoriety to support solidarity initiatives and encourage equality and social justice. His charisma, elegance and generosity left their mark on his contemporaries and continue to inspire new generations.
Claudia Cardinale leaves behind an impressive and diverse filmography, a unique journey that spans continents and decades, and a sincere attachment to her Mediterranean origins. Her talent, her humanity and her love for Tunisia will remain engraved in the collective memory, making her not only a cinema legend, but also a true ambassador of her native land. Every film, every role, every memory she shared testified to her passion for art and her attachment to her roots, and it is this continuity between her personal and artistic experiences that defines her exceptional legacy.
Neila Driss
