Juliette Binoche, Paris

In Cédric Klapisch’s Paris, a mostly upbeat ode to Parisians and their city, Juliette Binoche plays Elise, an unwed mother who must upend her life to care for her ailing brother. In an interview at New York's French Cultural Center, the Oscar-winning star of The English Patient talks about the appeal of being a member of an ensemble cast, why fear doesn’t factor in her life, how she understands her older sister’s issues about having a star in the family, and why difficulties and disasters can be positives.

•