'Intimate Audrey': Hepburn exhibition opens in Brussels
Sean Hepburn Ferrer, poses in front of a picture of his
mother Audrey Hepburn and an Oscar statuette awarded posthumously for her
humanitarian work at the exhibition "Intimate Audrey" in Brussels,
Belgium, May 2, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - From personal pictures and dresses to
film props and awards, an exhibition offering an intimate look at the life of
late actress Audrey Hepburn has opened in Brussels, marking the 90th
anniversary of the Hollywood star’s birth in the Belgian city.
Put together by her son Sean Hepburn Ferrer, “Intimate
Audrey” features hundreds of private and professional photos - originals and
reprints - as well as some movie memorabilia, such as the scooter used in the
1953 classic “Roman Holiday” for which Hepburn won a best actress Oscar.
Hepburn Ferrer, whose father was U.S. actor Mel Ferrer, said
he wanted to offer a more personal perspective of the life of the British
actress, who dedicated her later years to charity work and became a UNICEF
goodwill ambassador.
“She lived a humble life, a simple life, and maybe in there
lies the key to why she is still so beloved today,” he told Reuters.
Hepburn was born in 1929 in the Brussels area of Ixelles to
a Dutch mother and British father. She later moved to London to pursue ballet
training and eventually turned to acting, taking to the stage in New York in
1951 for Broadway play “Gigi”.
She starred in a string of films in the 1950s and 1960s,
including “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, “Charade” and “My Fair Lady”. Hepburn died
in 1993 aged 63.
On display are also Hepburn’s fashion drawings and
humanitarian writings. Hepburn Ferrer said one the key features of the
exhibition was a replica cherry blossom tree, a tribute to the childhood home
in Switzerland his parents bought in 1963 and remained Hepburn’s residence
until her death.
“It is an unusual exhibition because it has been completely
devoid of the Hollywood aspect of her career so it’s the woman who is coming
home, naked of the legend, of the icon,” he said.
“Intimate Audrey” runs Espace Vanderborght until Aug. 25.
Reporting By Clement Rossignol; Writing by Marie-Louise
Gumuchian, Editing by William Maclean
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
AUDREY HEPBURN BACK IN BRUSSELS
01 May 2019 - 04 August 2019
Brussels
In an interview on Belgian television in 1959, Audrey
Hepburn said: "I was born here in Brussels, and I am very happy about
that". It is precisely because the actress (1929-1993) was born in the
Brussels municipality of Ixelles, exactly ninety years ago, that her son, Sean
Ferrer, has decided to devote a biographical exhibition to the memory of his
mother in the Vanderborght building, in the centre of the capital.
The exhibition "Intimate Audrey" (1 May to 4
August) is primarily based on photos of the Hollywood star, some of which will
be on public display for the first time. Personal items including clothing and
accessories, as well as videos portraying significant events in her life, will
also feature in the exhibition. The emphasis is more on the woman as a person
rather than the actress, her marriage to the actor Melchor Gaston Ferrer and
her humanitarian work.
The proceeds from admissions will be donated to
EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe and to the Brugmann and Bordet hospitals in
Brussels. For practical information, visit: https://agenda.brussels//en/event/471314/exposition-intimate-audrey.html.
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