Alain Delon leads France's final farewell for Belmondo

Pierre Richard and Jaen-Paul Belmondo

© APA | Pierre Richard and Jaen-Paul Belmondo

# 10 September 2021 19:27 (UTC +04:00)

An adoring French public gave actor Jaen-Paul Belmondo a final farewell on Friday, with fellow film icon Alain Delon the most prominent of the celebrity funeral guests, APA reports citing France 24.

Belmondo's burial in the Saint-Germain-des-Pres church in Paris's Latin Quarter came a day after thousands turned out to honour the actor who died this week aged 88 at an official ceremony led by President Emmanuel Macron.

Friday's funeral was a more intimate affair, bringing together Belmondo's family, friends and film celebrities.

Among them was 85-year-old Delon, who like his friend Belmondo was the face of French New Wave cinema in the 1960s and 70s.

Delon, who had been absent from the week's official ceremonies, arrived at the church smiling and holding a single crutch, as a crowd of onlookers applauded him and chanted his first name.

Many other cinema heavyweights were among the mourners, including director Claude Lelouch and actor Pierre Richard, famous for roles in 1970s comedies, on crutches.

Jean Dujardin, best-known for "The Artist", was also there, as was Cannes film festival boss Thierry Fremaux.

"This is the last time we're with him, but he'll be always be with us, always," Fremeaux told AFP.

Many of the fans present were much younger than Belmondo, such as star DJ Bob Sinclair.

Hundreds of onlookers tried to get a glimpse of the arriving celebrities, pushing against police barriers or watching from nearby cafes

#
#

THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED