The speech of the ambassador of France
It is with great honour that I welcome you today at the Résidence de France to confer upon you, dear Michelle Yeoh, the important award of the Knight of the Legion of Honour, the highest French distinction.
I am glad that this ceremony to a malaysian actress the international media refers to as the biggest star from Asia, takes place during this symbolic year when Malaysia celebrates her 50th independence anniversary, and France her 50th diplomatic ties anniversary with this country. These anniversaries shall also be marked by the recognition that we bear testimony of your talent and the special attachment that you have, in many ways, to France.
By conferring this highest distinction, France would, of course, like to pay a special tribute to your outstanding performing talent, to the exceptional place you occupy in the multiple worlds of cinema – be them Asian martial arts, Hollywood or International cinema. France would also like to pay tribute to your position as an ambassadrice de charme of French savoir-faire, without forgetting your involvement in charitable organisations.
Born to an English-speaking Chinese lawyer’s family in Ipoh, from the tender age of four, most of your leisure times were spent not only on classical dance, but you were very active too in sports like squash, swimming and diving. At high school, you started competing on an international level in these disciplines. Itwas only natural that your dear father sent you in a boarding school in London, way back in 1977, to be trained as a ballerina in the prestigious Royal Ballet School, and also to attend acting lessons. Blessed with some exceptional physical qualities, you took up martial arts upon returning to Malaysia. It is only normal for us to find you, at the beginning of your career, with the star Jackie Chan. This collaboration later launched your career in Hong Kong cinema.
How could anyone forget your stunts in Supercop – Police Story III directed by Stanley Tong? Success after success, you multiplied your roles, and collaborated with Woo Ping Yuen, film-maker and choreographer of Tai-Chi Master in 1993 with Jet Li, and then Wing Chun in 1994. As far as action-pack movies are concerned, you are incontestably the major actress for the past 15 years, the icon, which will be remembered by millions of hypnotised spectators.
Nevertheless, it is your participation in one of James Bond’s movies, Tomorrow Never Dies in 1997, with Pierce Brosnan, which marked your entrance to Hollywood and offered you international fame. Producers, a tad cautious initially, lined up modest roles for you. However, your on-screen talent later impressed them. Your roles started to grow and you managed to bring along with you a breeze of fresh air, originality and vivacity. Three years later, you gained yet another international box-office with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, by Ang Lee.
You have also performed in the ambitious Babylon A.D. by Mathieu Kassovitz, a science-flick, which will hit the cinema in 2008. It goes without saying that all of us are waiting impatiently, to see it. Your latest movie, we heard, is also another science fiction, entitled Sunshine.
You are acclaimed by critics and proved a tremendous success with the public. In your films you have always challenged the traditional views of Asian women by creating very strong females roles. You were named CineAsia’s Award of excellence in “Acting for Oustanding Performance as an Actor” in 1999. Your performance in the period epic” couching tiger, hidden dragon” earned your nominations for best actress at the Taipei Golden Horse Awards, the Hong Kong Film Awards and the BAFTA Awards in 2001. In the same year, you were named “the International Star of the year” at the ShoWest exhibitior’s convention.
Memoirs of a Geisha, shot in 2004, was an international success and with the movie Tai Chi Master strengthen your position in International cinema. Thanks to your charisma and your much-appreciated strong personality by fellow colleagues and the public, you became an international star, which many Chinese actresses could only aspire to be.
Your talent is not only limited to acting. In 2001, you founded “Mythical Films Creative Development Fund” to nurture creative talents in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. In the following year, you were honoured the “Montblanc Culture Arts Patronage Award” in recognition of your personal commitment and achievements in arts and culture.
In 2002, you added another feather to your cap by producing high quality chinsese films. You produced and starred in “the Touch”, contemporary romantic action adventure, which was awarded “The Best Co-Production Film” by China Huabiao Film Awards. You were also honoured “Producer of the hear” by CineAsia. In the same year, you were honoured “The outstanding Young Persons of the World” by junior chamber international which is aimed at recognizing young people who excel in their chosen fields and exemplify the best attributes of the worlds’s young people.
You were invited to be jury member of Berlin festival in 1998 and Cannes Films Festival in 2002.
Miss Malaysia in 1983, the People magazine named you in 1997 as one of the 50 most beautiful women in the world. L’Oréal, captivated by your charm and beauty, named you its international brand Dream Team, and you by this title you represent one of the flagships of French savoir-faire.
I would also like to highlight your commitment in charitable organizations throughout the world. Since 1992, you have been involved in the Hong Kong Cancer Fund, founded to reduce impact of cancer and increase cancer awareness through education and You are honorary patron of AIDS Concern in Hong Kong, Brain Centre Foundation, LoveFaith-Hope Charitable Foundation, KELY Support Group and Save China’s Tigers. You brought comfort and aids to flood victims in Southern Malaysia last year, and also as the ambassador of Force of Nature, to raise funds and awareness for victims of natural disasters.
This year, Dame Elizabeth Taylor invited you to be the ambassador for the American Foundation for AIDS research, one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.
Most recently, you joined Institute for Cerebral and Medully Disorders, a French based international scientific center of excellence, which will make it possible to study the mechanisms of neurological conditions, psychiatric conditions, and trauma to the brain and spinal cord and the resulting treatments. Together with founding members Jean Todt, Michael Schumacher, Jean Reno, Luc Besson and distinguished surgeons appeared in a TV commercial for fund raising.
In 2001, you were conferred the title “dato” by sultan Azin Shah of Perak whose presence is much appreciated today, in recognition of your contribution for arts and your country.
By conferring upon you the Legion of Honour, France is honouring a Malaysian personality with international calibre, who, thanks to her many stays and connections in our country, contributes in introducing and appreciating France in Malaysia. Thus, you also contribute to the strengthening of ties between our two countries and also of mutual friendship between France and Malaysia.
For all these reasons, Dato Micelle Yeoh, it is a particular honour for me to bestow upon you, on behalf of President of the republic of France, M.Nicolas Sarkosy, the distinction of chevalier de la légion d’honneur. I shall now proceed to the conferment.