Natalie Portman talks about her family’s influence on her film choices

There are voices that soothe, looks that enlighten. That of Natalie Portman, at 44, does a bit of both at the same time. The Oscar-winning actress and American producer, revealed at 13 in Léon by Luc Besson, gave a rare interview to Tele-Leisure on the occasion of the release ofArcothe new animated film by Ugo Bienvenu, released in theaters this Wednesday, October 22.

This poetic feature film takes place in 2075, where a 10-year-old girl, Iris, sees a mysterious boy dressed in a jumpsuit with rainbow reflections falling from the sky. His name is Arco and he comes from the distant future, where time travel has become a reality. Iris decides to take him in and help him return to his time. A project that Natalie Portman describes as “a window open to the future” and “an invitation to rediscover faith in the beauty of the world”. For the famous interpreter of Padmé Amidala, Arco is one of those works capable of bringing generations together: “Children will see a vibrant tale, full of magic, light and sensations. While adults will read a meditation on heritage, memory and the power of renewal.”

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“I no longer really found films that were really interesting for my children”

If Natalie Portman got involved in this adventure, it is above all for very personal reasons. “I was having more and more difficulty finding films suitable for my children,” she confides. “You might think that there is plenty on offer for young audiences, but the reality is very different. The really interesting options are few in number.” Faced with this observation, the actress chose to invest differently, by supporting a demanding, poetic, and visually daring animation project. “It is this desire to offer them another perspective, richer and more delicate, which led me to invest in animated cinema,” she explains.

A mother guided by meaning

Natalie Portman admits that her family life now influences her professional choices. “My decisions are increasingly influenced by my children!” she admits. “Today more than ever I feel this need to make choices that have meaning for them.” Through Arcoshe says she found a project capable of touching her two children: Aleph, 14, and Amalia, 8, born from her union with the French choreographer Benjamin Millepied, from whom she divorced in March 2024. Discreet, the two children grew up between Los Angeles and Paris. “France remains a place where I feel profoundly good,” the actress recently confided to Madame Figaro .