Jodie Foster, Sigourney Weaver awarded French Legion of Honour

Jodie Foster and Sigourney Weaver were among those awarded the Legion of Honour at the Élysée Palace in Paris, by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Foster, Weaver, Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas and Despicable Me creator Chris Meledandri were presented with the insignia of Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, which is equivalent to a British knighthood.

Oscar-winning French filmmaker Claude Lelouch was given the insignia of Commandeur de l'Ordre National du Mérite, which is roughly equivalent to the British rank of Commander.

Macron paid tribute to Foster's lifelong relationship with France and her evolution from child prodigy to two-time Oscar winner and filmmaker.

"Again and again, there was your refusal of archetypes, of playing the woman or the daughter of someone else, and your choice of characters who exist in their own right, characters with strength," Macron enthused.

He went on to highlight Foster's continuing ties to France, from her honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes to her leading French-language role opposite Daniel Auteuil in Vie Privée, which world-premiered at Cannes last year.

"France has always been like a second home to you, an intimate part of yourself and of your history," Macron said.

He hailed Weaver as a trailblazer who transformed the place of women in blockbuster filmmaking. Calling France her "adopted country", the President recalled that she lived there for two years, speaks French, and loves French cinema.

To George Lucas, he remarked, "You have become a great Jedi Knight of cinema, and today you become a Knight of the Legion of Honour."

Created in 1802 by Napoleon, the Legion of Honour is France's highest distinction. It is meant to reward those who dedicate themselves to the public good.