SHOW AND TELL

On Sunday we had a family meal with my father, the theatre director and sculptor Jean-Marie Binoche. My sister came over with her children, and I was there with my two, Hana, 14, and Raphael, 18. We walked in the woods. It happens once in a while, and it’s good. After that my trainer for In-I came over. In-I is a new show

I’m doing with Akram Khan — we are rehearsing it just outside Paris and we are taking it to London’s National theatre. He’s the choreographer, and I’m the dancer, though I’ve never danced in a show before and have had no formal training. So the next day, after taking my kids to school, I just rehearsed the whole day.

I live outside Paris. The city is like a puzzle, there are so many different areas and I have lived in all of them. The diversity is beautiful. In my new film, Paris, you can see that quite well. I play a social worker who tries to sort out accommodation for clients, who lives near the Père Lachaise cemetery — we filmed it from an apartment with a fantastic view of the cemetery and the city.

KICK UP THE ARTS

In Paris there are all the blue European Union flags flying to mark the the European presidency. The Eiffel Tower is lit up with blue lights and yellow stars. I noted all the flags, and I read Le Monde every morning. I’m aware of what’s going on in politics. But, you know, I think art is more important than politics. Art will change the world, not politics. I think politics can change some realities but the real reality of life, if you like — is inside us. When you read a paper from 30, 50 years ago, you see people were wrestling with the same problems. Politics doesn’t move on much.

VERSE AND WORSE

On Tuesday night I went to see a dance performance from Pina Bausch in Paris, and then on Wednesday I spent all morning with the people from Lancôme doing a recording for a film I’d made for them, promoting their skincare products.

Later that night I worked on some poems I’ve written for Jubilations, an exhibition at the BFI \ on the South Bank, which is going on at the same time as In-I. The show will include a retrospective of my 25-year film career and an exhibition of my paintings. My poems are also going to be published in an anthology. I think I could have been a painter, if I hadn’t enjoyed the community of acting.

Thursday, Akram and I rehearsed the whole day, and then I came to London.

CHINESE CRACKERS

I feel at home wherever I am, but when I first came to London for work I wasn’t sure about it because I felt people were quite negative. It was only when I came back to live here that I fell in love with London. I’ve lived here on and off for years — when I filmed Wuthering Heights, when I shot Chocolat, when I was in Naked at the Almeida. I’m really excited because when we do In-I, I’m going to have an apartment near the National, so I can walk in.

My week finished with a visit to a Chinese master of the healing process Chi Quong. He’s called Zhi Xing Wang, and he focuses on how you can help forces in and around your body to heal it. It’s all about looking after your chi. I’m taking good care of my chi at the moment — that’s your energy — because I think I need a lot of chi to get through the next six months. Zhi was recommended by a friend and because I’m coming to London regularly I want to work with him.

By the end of the week I was ready to go home to Paris. I didn’t eat out anywhere. I don’t have time at the moment for dinner or fancy places, because I’m working like a horse. Or should that be like a dog?

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