Alexandra Leclère

Although she initially had planned to become an actress, French-born Alexandra Leclère ultimately decided that it wasn't for her, admitting that she felt awkward performing in front of people. However, she has proved herself to be a lot more comfortable behind the camera, working as a writer and director, thanks to her self-confessed fascination with people and their emotions. Leclère got off to a promising start as a filmmaker with the 2003 short "Bouche à bouche ," and followed it up with her feature debut, "Les soeurs fâchées ," the following year. The latter, which Leclère also scripted, is a comedy-drama about two disparate sisters -- living in Paris and Le Mans -- whose very different lives come together when one has a book published, and boasts an impressive cast which includes Isabelle Huppert and Catherine Frot. Leclère returned in 2007 with "The Price To Pay," the charming tale of a wealthy man who seeks advice from his chauffeur on how to put the spark back into his marriage, and which stars Christian Clavier and Nathalie Baye. Like her previous effort, it was a cleverly written comedy which proved popular with the French public, going straight to number one at the box office when it was released in Leclère's native land.