Vie de campus

Conference by Jacques Bonnaffé

Jacques Bonnaffé will be the guest of the Université des Savoirs partagés for a lecture on cinema and the North, on December 04 at 6 pm.

Northern film actor

As part of the current edition of the Université des Savoirs Partagés, UPHF welcomes Jacques Bonnaffé, actor, director and poet.

The lecture, entitled "Actor from the North in cinema"will allow this emblematic figure of the Nordic artistic heritage to discuss the various facets of the acting profession and look back on a career marked by over forty years of presence on film sets.

From testimonies and analyses nourished by his experiences working with major directors and other actors, the event will highlight the singularity of an eye from the North and the way it contributes to contemporary French cinema.

Beyond the presentation, the session will include time for exchange with the audience: questions, on-set anecdotes and discussions about atypical career paths.
The session is aimed as much at students and researchers as at local residents interested in regional cultural history and live performance practices.

Date and time: December 4, 2025, 6:30 pm
Address: Institut des Mobilités et des Transports Durables (IMTD)
All public, free admission (registration required)

Registration form

Registration is required to attend the conference.

Register

Portrait of Jacques Bonnaffé

Jacques Bonnaffé, born in Douai in 1958, is a French actor, director and poet whose career spans cinema, theater and poetry. Trained at the Lille Conservatory, he made his film debut with Jean-Luc Godard in Prénom Carmen and went on to collaborate with directors such as Édouard Niermans, Jacques Rivette, Philippe Garrel, Tonie Marshall, René Féret and Martin Provost. He takes part in many iconic films such as Baptême, Va savoir..., Vénus Beauté, Les Amitiés maléfiques, En fanfare or 36 vues du Pic Saint-Loup. On television, he is notably Monseigneur Poileaux in Ainsi soient-ils.

The art of the stage and popular poetry

In parallel, his theatrical career has led him to work under the direction of major directors such as Jean-Pierre Vincent, Alain Françon, Didier Bezace, Jean-François Peyret, André Engel and Tiago Rodrigues, exploring a classical, contemporary and poetic repertoire. He creates his own stagings, mixing poets' texts and jazz music, and founds the Compagnie Faisan, awarded a Molière in 2009 for L'Oral et hardi. He created Cafougnette et l'défilé, a play adapted from Jules Mousseron's texts in Picard patois, performed for twelve years. This show illustrates his attachment to regional roots, the Picardy language and folk poetry.

Poetry enthusiast, for several years he hosted the daily program Jacques Bonnaffé lit la poésie on France Culture, and collaborated with contemporary authors such as Jean-Pierre Verheggen, James Sacré and Valérie Rouzeau. He stages poetic and musical performances, combining theater, reading and jazz, and produces poetic banquets and original creations. He recently shared the stage with Picardy poet Jacques Darras.

On Friday, October 17, Jacques Bonnaffé was the narrator for the Antar concert at Le Phénix, accompanied by the Orchestre National de Lille as part of the anniversary tribute.

Among his honors: the Molière for L'Oral et hardi (2009), the ACS Best Actor Award (2016) for Ainsi soient-ils, and the Prix Raymond Devos de la langue française (2016).

The University of Shared Knowledge

Since the start of the academic year, the Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France has welcomed a number of personalities from a variety of backgrounds, including Frédéric Martin (former RAID officer), Céline Grassegger (general commissioner) and mangakas Anne and Minh.
. The arrival of Jacques Bonnaffé is part of this continuity of speakers offering diverse perspectives on today's professions, disciplines and cultures.

The Université des Savoirs Partagés (USP), supported by UPHF, offers free lectures open to all, led by renowned personalities and covering a variety of themes.
It is also developing a transgenerational training program promoting the hybridization of knowledge and links with social and civic life.
Participants have access to opening modules, accreditations and the University's cultural, sporting and documentary resources.