French film icon Brigitte Bardot died

Brigitte Bardot has died. The famous French actress was 91 years old. This was announced by the foundation that bears her name. "The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announces with immense sadness the passing of its founder and president, Madame Brigitte Bardot, world-famous actress and singer, who chose to abandon her prestigious career to devote her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation," reads a statement sent to Afp, without specifying the time or place of death.

Born in Paris on 28 September 1954, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, the actress starred in 56 films before ending her career in 1973 and dedicating herself to animal welfare. "BB" worked with directors of the highest calibre such as Louis Malle and Jean-Luc Godard. The crucial date in his career was 1956, when a film by Roger Vadim And God... created woman was released in cinemas. Suddenly, France and soon the whole world had eyes for Brigitte Bardot. "A wild, animal, free body explodes on the screen," wrote critic Jean Douchet. "She subverts and revolutionises social mores in France and around the world." The Bardot revolution had just begun and would give rise to a true myth.