Déborah François (French pronunciation: ​[debɔʁa fʁɑ̃swa]; born 24 May 1987) is a Belgian actress. She is best known for her starring role in the Palme d\'Or-winning film, The Child (2005), directed by the Dardenne brothers. In 2009, she won a César Award for Most Promising Actress for The First Day of the Rest of Your Life.\n', '

Déborah François was born in Rocourt, Liège, a provincial town of Belgium. She is the daughter of a policeman and a social worker, and the second of their three children.\n', '

François grew up in Liège, which is in the French-speaking area of Belgium, and in 2005 she was discovered by two film producers (Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne) who gave her the principal female part in their film entitled L\'Enfant – The Child. This kitchen sink drama, which takes place not far from François\'s home town in the run-down industrial town of Seraing, features a young couple, Bruno and Sonia. The couple live off social security benefits and the proceeds of Bruno\'s robberies – he is the head of a gang of thieves. When Sonia gives birth to a baby, Bruno cold-bloodedly sells their child to a dealer for a few thousand euros. This film was awarded the Palme d\'Or at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.\n', '

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