NZNTV

FRENCH TOUCH. On a breezy Sunday in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, Karidja Touré sits with girlfriends at Hoshi, her favorite local sushi restaurant. There’s something special about the 21-year-old actress, who has stunned audiences around the globe with her performance in Céline Sciamma’s Girlhood (known as Bande de Filles in France), a gritty coming-of-age drama about a teenager navigating life in a tough neighborhood.

Two years ago, she was approached by a casting director at an amusement park. « I thought it was a big strange, » she remembers now. But Karidja apprehensively took the woman’s business card and made the call that would change her life.

Now, a quiet moment in her beloved City of Light is rare. She’s been nominated for a coveted César award, and she’s representing the film on a festival tour that started in Cannes and has continued on to Toronto (where I first met her) and more than a dozen cities, from Rotterdam to Dubai. « I love to travel, so I don’t mind, » Karidja tells me, smiling. The perks are good, too. « When we were in Sweden, they gave me a beautiful luxury watch for a present. I was like, ’Whoa!’ »

Next up for the overnight sensation? Auditions. « I want to keep acting. My mom is very proud, and she’s always saying, ’Maybe you will work with American actors.’ » But Karidja’s heart will always be home in Paris. « I really love the Champs-Élysées, » she says. « I know it’s a touristy place, but the shops are open until 10 p.m.! Zara is the best. I also love going to Galeries Lafayette. » No matter where in the world they live, girls will certainly be girls.